X-Men:Cerulean Dreams
by DaniNatureGirl313
Summary: When Charles discovers that he has another sister, her arrival at the mansion brings great changes...& not just for him. Watch Amanda Xavier live, laugh, learn, & love. Her relationships, especially one w/ a certain metal-bender, shape who she becomes...as well as the conflict swirling around her. This is the "X-Men" saga, through her eyes.
1. Revelations

**Chapter One: Revelations**

**Prologue:**** Roughly ten months after the events of "First Class", Professor Charles Xavier discovers the existence of his long-lost half-sister, Amanda. The same day she comes to the mansion, so does someone else, who becomes the love of her life. The balance between them defines the course of the story, and it gives insight into a world we only thought we knew.**

It was just after 10am on Thursday, August 22nd, 1963…a typical late morning like any other. Like countless other paralytics around the world, a man with wavy chocolate-brown hair and sapphire-blue eyes wheeled himself into his study. He was a twenty-five-year-old Englishman, fiercely intelligent, and had a heart bigger than the world could hold. He was a teacher by trade. Now, these qualities could apply could describe just about anyone, but Charles Xavier was far from "just anyone". He was a mutant, one of millions around the world, as he discovered in his childhood. His power was telepathy, enabling him to read, and at times control, the minds of others. He ran a school to teach and shelter others like him, which therefore meant every member of the staff was a mutant, too. Charles put his daily mug of coffee on top of what once was his father's desk and rubbed his hands together, preparing to go through its contents for the first time in a long while. He didn't know his sense of normalcy was about to be shattered.

He shuffled through a bunch of papers, mostly schematics and documents of the business deals he'd heard of his father doing many, many years ago. Then, something at the bottom of the last drawer caught his eye. Using a nearby ruler, he was able to maneuver the object into a position in which he could pick it up. It was his mother's journal. Even though Sharon Xavier-Hunter had long since passed away, Charles was still reluctant to read it. After all, she'd firmly engrained the notion that "a lady's thoughts should remain private" into his skull, never mind that he'd been able to read said thoughts from the age of seven. Clearly, she knew more about his abilities than she'd let on, and she'd been able to block him enough to write down whatever was contained in these pages. He sighed for the second time that morning, stealing a quick glance out the window behind him. Blowing a kiss to the sky, he mumbled "Sorry about this, Mum" before returning his attention to the journal and opening it.

Softly under his breath, he thought, "I wonder why she'd leave this in Dad's desk in the first place. I never knew her to be keeping one after Raven came along, after he died, and she married my stepfather. It must've been here for a while." Imagining the morphing girl he still considered a sister made tears come to his eyes, though he quickly blinked them away. Her words from only a few months earlier continued to echo in his mind: "You and me against the world", "You want to be a part of it", "Mutant and proud". He sniffled and took another deep breath, telling himself, "Keep it together, old boy." Once he'd recomposed himself, he flipped past the first several pages, skipping the many stories he already knew about. He continued on to others, like the courtship with and marriage to his father. He read entries about his own birth and early life, with a few brief mentions of his comatose twin.

He fought back another round of tears when he saw the first mention of the Xavier's "newly adopted daughter". The journal went on further to discuss his father's rapid decline as he succumbed to lung cancer, as well as how the family coped in the time immediately after his passing. It also detailed the arrival of Cain Hunter into their lives, as well as his wedding to Sharon. Charles was just about to close the journal and put it away, when several passages near the end grabbed his attention, largely due to how angry they were.

There were references to his father, who'd apparently done something Sharon only discovered several years after his death. One said, "I cannot believe Brian would do something like this! To willingly give his…essence…away for another woman's use! Did he not think that was something worth discussing with me?!" Charles didn't know whether to be grossed out or amused by the fact that his father had been a sperm donor. His mother's reaction was understandable, if a bit over-dramatic. But it didn't stop there. Eventually, her rant tempered down near the end of the journal itself. What those next words said nearly had Charles falling out of his wheelchair.

In his mother's easily recognizable flowing script was, "I thought I'd had Brian's sample destroyed, but I was not quick enough. I was told that it had been used by an American student living in London. Apparently, this young woman had been an acquaintance of my husband. She said that if a child was conceived, she wanted him to know about it. A short time later, she wrote a letter to Brian, informing him of the birth of a baby girl. I still have it, as well as all the documents associated with the birth. Once again, it's a good thing that he's not here right now, for I would surely give him a piece of my mind. It's also good that Charles and Raven are away at school, far from all this madness. I pray they never discover it. I don't know what they'd think." Charles let out a shocked huff, leaning against the back of his wheelchair as the journal fell back to the desk, flat and open.

The revelation fell down on him like that proverbial "ton of bricks". He had another sister out there, this time a _blood_ sister. His mouth fell slightly open, and he shook his head in surprise. This doubled when he touched the inside of the journal's back cover, and he found it to be packed with something. Grabbing a letter-opener from another drawer, he determinedly cut it open. Papers fell out, which he realized were the birth documents his mother mentioned. Some were details of the donation, some were accounts from the unknown woman's hospital stay, and some lined out her hopes to raise the child between England and her native home in Rhode Island.

Soon enough, Charles found what intrigued him most: the birth certificate itself. There, in black-and-white for the world to see, was every single detail of his then-newborn half-sister. His eyes focused on one line in particular: "Amanda Corrine Xavier, born October 4th, 1944." Sadly, though, there was no baby picture, only the ink-prints left by her tiny feet and hands. He started wondering what she might look like now.

By his estimation, she should be around nineteen, or at least close to it. Was she dark-haired like him? Did they have the same eye-color? Did she have a British accent, or did she sound more American? How tall was she? What are her likes and dislikes? And most importantly…did she have a mutation? Since the so-called "X-gene" is usually carried through the male line of a family, it was highly likely that she did. It was also likely similar to his, if not exactly the same. He quickly grabbed his coffee and downed it in about five big gulps, not caring how the brown liquid almost burned his throat as it went down. He definitely needed his caffeine fix now. He ran his fingers through his hair, chuckling slightly as he felt another rush of air escape him. "Heavens, when did I become so accustomed to sighing?" He was torn from his musings by the sound of footsteps, approaching his study.

Knuckled rapped against the other side of the door. Charles pressed two fingers to his right temple, tapping into the mind of the other person. Before the knuckles could sound again, he said, "It's alright. You can come in, Sean." The door opened, and a boy of about sixteen entered. He was about five-foot-six, with curly red hair, freckles, and dark brown eyes. "I already know why you're here, but I'll still ask just for the sake of it." Sean Cassidy, who went by the nickname Banshee, said, "Look, Professor, I'm sure you know what you're doing in all this, but…hey, I trust you…" Charles couldn't help but smile. The poor kid was still a bit intimidated by him. It was actually quite endearing. He said, "Well, go on, then. Finish the 'but' part." Now, it was Sean's turn to sigh. "Are you sure you want to do this, like absolutely positive? I mean…to allow Magneto back here after what he did to you, that's…t-that's kind of taking a big risk, don't you think?" Charles folded his hands in his lap, briefly looking away as he considered the boy's words.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was still fresh in many people's minds. The government had gone into overdrive in terms of hunting down and ending the so-called "mutant problem". That meant many people considered too different had gone into hiding, at least until the fervor died down somewhat. This only fueled the radical beliefs of a man who Charles still considered a brother, the same man ultimately responsible for paralyzing him…Erik Lehnsherr, known to his associates as Magneto due to his gift of controlling metal and magnetic fields. Erik was a deeply troubled, damaged man. He'd been through the concentration camps during the Holocaust, and he'd seen his mother murdered. He'd been horribly used and abused, treated like a lab animal until he reached adulthood and was able to break free. Charles knew his friend had broken free physically, but not mentally or emotionally. In Erik's eyes, 98% of the world was nothing but pain, anger, fear, and racism. Of the remaining bits, 1% was on his side, and the other final 1% percent was just ignorant, stupid, and naïve. According to him, Charles and everyone else at the school feel into that last bracket. But that didn't mean Charles had to shut the man out completely. He couldn't, not with how the outside world currently was. He still wanted to protect Erik, Raven, and their friends by inviting them back to the mansion for a while, simply because it was the right thing to do.

A clearing throat brought Charles out of his mental fog. "Are you okay, Prof?" "Yes, yes, I'm fine. Just reminiscing, that's all." He briefly remembered the metal-bender's words during their last chess match: "Peace was never an option." "What?" Realizing he must've mumbled those same words out loud, he told Sean, "To answer your question, I am indeed positive that bringing Erik and the others back here is the right thing to do. In times such as these, we simply can't afford to ignore or refuse to help each other. Understand?" When the boy nodded, Charles continued, "While our guests are here, however long their stay may be, they are to be treated with the greatest possible amount of respect. It's probably the exact opposite of what they're expecting to happen. Do you understand that, as well, Banshee?" Sean smiled and said, "Yes, Dad." Chuckling under his breath, Charles smiled back, saying, "Don't even _joke_ about that."

Conversation then drifted to the pending arrival of the newest group of students. Sean began reading off the roster, just saying their first names. One in particular made Charles's blood run cold. He asked the boy to repeat that name, which he did, saying, "Amanda…Xavier? Wait a second, Professor. Is this girl related to you somehow?" Charles simply held up his mother's journal and replied, "I have a very interesting story to tell you." After several minutes, which largely consisted of reading Sharon's angry rants, as well as showing the birth documents, he asked Sean for his opinion on the matter. The boy leaned back in his chair, the shocked look on his face mirroring that of his teacher's. "So…So, this girl is your sister, your _blood_ sister?" "Apparently so, according to these papers." "And how…look are you going to be okay with this, with her living here? We…W-We don't even know what she'd like." Charles sighed yet again, glancing down at his watch before telling him, "We'll find out soon enough. The bus is scheduled to arrive in just over five minutes." The boy was about to say something else, but the sound of squeaking wheels outside stopped him.

Sean stood and left Charles's office, walking towards the staircase near the entrance to the mansion. He looked to his right, giving an acknowledging nod to a blond boy about his age. Alex Summers, who stood on the bottom stair, was also known as Havok. From his left, Sean received an enthusiastic clap on the back from the blue-furred hand of Hank McCoy, whose nickname was Beast. As the front doors started to open to let the students in, Alex mumbled half-jokingly, "Look at all that fresh meat." Hank replied softly, "Don't scare them _just_ yet."

The group numbered about twenty, ages ranging from ten to sixteen, with only a tiny amount of students older than that. There were six boys, and the rest were girls. Some were understandably wary of the welcoming committee and kept their heads down. Others were curious as they looked around their new surroundings, and a couple of the girls even cast flirtatious glances at the trio by the stairs. Sean sighed and thought, "I wonder which one is the professor's sister." A voice in his head 'told' him, "I can already sense her mind, but I have to wait until I see her face before I try to make contact. I don't want to frighten her. She'll be a bit older than the rest, eighteen according to the roster. She's also likely to be slightly taller, as well. Listen for an accent like mine, just in case." Sean stepped slightly out of the way to provide a better view, and he was rewarded with a 'reply' of "Thanks very much. There's a good chap." Briefly glancing over his shoulder, he saw Charles remove two fingers from his right temple. A smile crossed the telepath's face as the boy turned around.

The possibilities had now been narrowed down to three possible candidates. Two of them were talking by a coat rack. One of them had straight strawberry-blond hair, which was tied back in a ponytail. The other wore glasses and had light brownish-blond hair that fell to her waist in thick, glossy ringlets. The third girl, however, was the one who actually drew the most consideration. She was standing off to the side, seemingly a bit more shy than the other students as she remained by the front door, pacing around and taking everything in. She wore a plain blue t-shirt, grey sweat-pants with dark pink stripes on the sides, sneakers, sunglasses, and a light denim jacket.

Amanda's mint-green eyes scanned around the area. Her dark brown hair reached her shoulder-blades. It was down, except for a small clip over her right ear, which pulled it away from her face. She had a small patch of freckles over the bridge of her nose, full lips, and reached 5'8 in height. She gave a tiny smile to the three boys by the staircase, evidently there to welcome the group to their new home. Despite how it appeared, she wasn't in the least bit shy. She was just picking up all the swirling emotions of the other students. That was her power. Amanda was an empath, meaning she could read the emotions of others, sometimes using those emotions to access memories. She could send out pulses of energy to calm other people. However, those same pulses could also be used as a kind of stun-gun, which ranged in strength from a minor pinch to putting the receiver into full-body convulsions.

Amanda had been reading about this school for a couple of months. A certain newspaper article started the search that led her here, where she hoped to learn more information about a branch of her family she'd never met. She was focusing on a painting that hung above the fireplace in the room across from her, fidgeting by constantly re-adjusting her backpack, when…she heard what sounded like a softly-speaking British accent. Nobody else was reacting to it, though, which greatly confused her. The voice seemed to be coming from inside her head.

She tried closing her eyes to focus on finding the source of the voice. As she did, it became much clearer, 'saying', "You don't have to be nervous. You're safe here, Amanda. Look to your left." She opened her eyes and did just that. There, about ten feet away in what looked to be a study, sat a dark-haired young man in a wheelchair. She noticed that he had two fingers pressed against the side of his head. She tilted her own head in confusion, lowering her sunglasses a bit and silently 'asking', "Was that you?" The man 'answered', "Yes. That was me. I'm a telepath, my dear." A thought of "Cool" earned a small smile from her new friend. "I can help you." As she walked closer, he 'said', "I know you have many questions." Once she reached the study, he removed his fingers from his right temple. He wheeled himself around the desk, stopping right next to her. Letting go what felt like his hundredth sigh of the day, he leaned back and said, "It's lovely to finally meet you, Amanda. As you probably already know, my name is Charles. Now, _this_ part may come as a bit of a shock, but…but I'm your brother."

_**AN: I'm slowly breaking my original story up into smaller chapters to help amp up anticipation. Unfortunately, since there were so many of said chapters, this re-vamping is going to take a long while. So please, be patient w/ me, and be as kind as you possibly can in your reviews.**_


	2. Magneto & Company

**_AN: A broken family comes back together, and Cupid's legendary arrow strikes. _**

Amanda was surprised that Charles told her the truth so early and easily, but she had to admit that it was a great ice-breaker. She gestured at the book and pile of papers on his desk. "I'm assuming _those_ hold the evidence?" When he nodded, she sat in the chair directly across from him, dropping her backpack to the floor and placing her sunglasses on top of her head. Drumming her fingers on the arm of the chair, she asked, "So…what exactly are we going to do now?" He told her, "That depends on you. This house is as much yours as it is mine. You are free to stay as long as you like. I think the students will like you. There will be times when they'll no doubt need your, shall we say…calming presence." After a minute of pause, he then said, "You seem to be taking this quite well. You're not even thinking of checking the papers." "I'd sense any deception." "Fair enough."

A couple of seconds of awkward silence went by before Amanda asked, "So, who'd this Magneto guy I heard those boys out there whispering about?" The corner of Charles's mouth twitched in sudden nervousness. He replied, "He's an associate of mine. His real name is Erik. Our opinions on certain key issues differ a great deal, but I do count him as a friend. He'll be stopping by later this evening with some of his…co-workers, and they'll be spending a significant amount of time here." She didn't probe for answers any further, as this currently faceless man was clearly a touchy subject. So, she decided to move on to something else.

Amanda slowly reached for his hand, pausing to look into his eyes and make sure it was okay. "Will you feel it?" "Yes. The paralysis only goes from my hips down." She fought the urge to cry, which Charles could detect even without reading her mind. The tiny smile he gave was clearly meant to say, "Don't feel sorry for me." She then stood up and reached out again. But when she actually touched it, an extremely sharp pain suddenly tore through the base of her spine. Her opposite hand flew up to the spot, her face instantly twisted in agony. She fell forward, catching herself on the desk. As soon as she let go of Charles's hand, though, the pain immediately went away. She was breathing heavily as she glanced up at him, asking, "What on Earth was _that_?" "I believe you've just relived the moment that put me in this wheelchair." "How did it happen?" "I was shot." The blunt answer made her eyes grow wide, and she brought a hand up to cover her gasping mouth. He grabbed her wrist and gently lowered her hand, saying, "However…I do think the details of that incident are…best reserved for another time." Amanda nodded her agreement. "Good. Now then, I do believe I have some new people for you to meet."

She followed him back into the main hall, where Alex, Hank, and Sean were still standing. The blond and the furry boy were focusing on Amanda, which meant that Sean had already told them everything. Like her, they appeared to have taken the news well, and they welcomed her into the X-Men family with open arms. Once all the introductions were finished, Charles turned to his sister and said, "Why don't you go upstairs and get some rest, okay? Given your very trying day, you've definitely earned it. Your room, when you choose it, will be on the third floor." She smiled, and he smiled back, gladly accepting her hug as she leaned down. It was their first embrace as acknowledged siblings. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and an extra squeeze as she pulled away. Just before she did, Charles had whispered in her ear, "Don't forget…this is your home." She nodded in understanding and went upstairs.

Amanda chose a room with a small balcony, which faced the backyard of the mansion. She set her backpack down and went to open the curtains, feeling in awe of the magnificent view. The grey clouds on the horizon normally would've made her nervous, but she couldn't deny how breathtaking it was to see the tiny sunbeams peeking through. It was then that she fully realized just how tired she was. Her muscles were so achy and cramped from the long plane and bus rides, and no amount of stretching seemed to help. She let out a heavy sigh and said, "A nice, hot bubble bath is exactly what I need right now." She unzipped her backpack and grabbed some random clothes she knew would be comfortable later, leaving them on the bathroom counter as she turned on the faucet and proceeded to draw her bath. Once it was at a decent level and temperature, she mixed vanilla and orange liquid soaps into the water, quickly stripping down and sinking under the bubbles with a contented sigh.

Amanda ran her fingers through her hair and messaging her scalp, allowing her mind to scan back over the events of the past several months. Sandy Green had always known her daughter was special, and she often said so. She'd say things like, "Your daddy lives back in England." When Amanda returned home from college for Christmas break the previous year, she came across a newspaper article, advertising a new school for so-called "special children". Her powers kicked in, suddenly telling her this was where she needed to be. The sensation was so strong, it almost made her shake. It frightened her a little, since she'd never had an intuitive moment to that degree before. From the corner of her eye, she spotted the name of the person being interviewed: Charles Xavier.

As Amanda left her hair and began rubbing the kinks out of her shoulders, she recalled everything else which happened that day. She'd stared hard at the man's picture, saying softly, "Xavier? But that's _my_ last name. How is that…Mom!" Her mother came running into the kitchen, obviously relieved when she saw that nothing was wrong. Amanda turned the newspaper around and pointed at the name, asking, "Mom, what's this about? Am I related to this guy somehow?" Sandy swallowed hard and asked, "What does your heart tell you?" Though that question was a common one to many people, "heart" was code for "gift" in their household. "Tell me the truth, Mom. Who is this man?" Sandy took a beat of pause before saying breathlessly, "He looks so much like Brian." "Who's Brian?"

Gently, she pushed the paper away and said, "Come on, honey. Let's go sit down." Once they did, she sighed and gently took Amanda's hands. "Sweetheart, Brian was your father's name. That man in the paper…that man is your older half-brother." That part alone wasn't surprising, since the girl had already felt the connection, but her mother's further explanation had her nearly dropping her jaw. "I had so many bad relationships, and I just didn't' want to wait to be a mom anymore. Brian was a great friend of mine while I was studying abroad. And when I told him my story, he agreed to help. At the time, he and his wife, Sharon, had a six-year-old son named Charles. I learned a short while later that they'd adopted a little girl, as well." Amanda felt like the result of a mere business deal. There was no romance or passion involved in her conception, not even a one-night stand. Still, judging by the description her mother was giving, her dad sounded like a good man. She felt bad when she learned he'd already succumbed to lung cancer, wishing she'd had the chance to meet him.

A couple of months later, Sandy Green tragically died in a car crash. That event was what triggered Amanda to take the search for her brother more seriously. Since Brian Xavier was already dead, and her mother's side didn't care much about her for the most part, Charles was the only family she had left. Writing a letter was out of the question, since he'd likely think she was crazy and throw it away. This left only one option, enrolling in the school. There was a limited amount of older students the school could have, so her application was filed just in time. Amanda had now moved on to messaging her knees as she thought about the "little girl" her mother had mentioned. This meant she had a sister, as well, but it confused her that she hadn't yet met the girl.

Charles's voice brought her back to Earth: "Her name is Raven. You'll meet her soon enough, when she gets here with Erik." She 'replied', "Raven…that's a pretty name." "Yes, it is. I really think you'll get along swimmingly. Also…I'm incredibly intrigued by your backstory, Amanda. I'm sorry for your mother's passing, and I'm touched that I was the first person you reached out to in your time of trouble, despite the fact that you'd never met me before today." She took a deep breath and said out loud, "We're all each other have in this world, Charlie. Family means everything." She heard him 'mumble' through laughter what sounded like "Indeed." He then 'said', "No one's called me Charlie in years, not since our father was alive." "Well then, it'll be our special thing now. Thanks for everything in advance, big brother." Another shy laugh was followed by a 'reply' of, "You're very welcome, little sister. It's my pleasure. Get some rest now. I'll see you again later." Amanda felt his presence leave her mind, and she resumed her relaxing bath.

Once her bath, her skin was wrinkled from soaking in the water for so long. Amanda towel-dried her hair and changed into the outfit she'd laid out earlier: grey lounge pants, a turquoise long-sleeved t-shirt with two buttons undone at the collar, and white socks. She then pinned her hair up with a large claw clip. She also chose to wear a pair of her mother's old earrings, which were a pair of silver hearts with red bead chips on them. It wasn't until she was completely done, that Amanda really took in her new surroundings.

The room was big, but not overly so, and was full of simple, classic prettiness. There was a full-size bed, its head- and footboard made of special dark cedar. A piece of silver filigree sat between the two posts of the headboard. The bedcovers were a dark floral pattern, and they seemed to have an antique feel. The frames around the doors to bathroom and bedroom entrance were both white, standing out against the simple light blue walls. The floor was a dark polished hardwood, with a large fancy throw-rug under the bed. The dresser was made of the same material as the bedframe, with a silver piping running around the mirror, which matched the handles on the drawers.

However, what really impressed Amanda was the huge bookcase on the right side of her bed. She walked over to it and ran her fingers along the shelves, tracing patterns in the wood. She sent a quick mental message to Charles: "Thanks for this. I love reading. I know you have your own library, but if it's okay with you, I'll just put all my favorites here." When he didn't 'answer', she decided to lie down. She threw her backpack to the floor, only pausing to take out a book as she flopped onto the bed and rolled onto her back. The book was her all-time favorite: _The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll & Mister Hyde_. She'd had the copy for years, her folding marks and thumbprints still visible on the well-worn pages. She was a quarter of the way through the third chapter, when she felt her eyes start to get droopy.

Amanda didn't know how much time had passed when she woke up. The mid-sunset sky outside her window was a stunning mix of pink and orange, with the clouds turning various shades of greyish-purple. The young girl folded the page she'd stopped on and placed the book on her bedside table. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, stretching both them and her arms. Suddenly, she was torn from her exercise by the sound of muffled voices. Some she recognized, but there were also others that she didn't' know. Two of them were women. There was also a third, which intrigued her beyond all reason. It was perfect English, but laced with what had to be an Eastern European accent. They had to be the new people her brother had told her about.

Giving one last stretch of her back as she stood, Amanda walked to the door slowly and tentatively. She was careful to be quiet as she opened it and walked into the hallway. She tip-toed down the first flight of stairs, and she neared the second when the sound of Charles's voice stopped her. She peeked over the railing as he shouted up at her, "Oh, good, you're awake!" Come down here, Amanda! There are some new people I want you to meet!" She shouted back, "Will do, Charlie", ignoring the faint snicker and return of "Oh, shut up" at the use of her brother's pet name.

Excitement coursing through her veins, she couldn't stop smiling as she slid down the second staircase's railing and ran for the third flight, only regaining her composure as she started walking down. She caught her breath and smoothed her shirt, letting her left hand glide gracefully down the bannister. Charles caught sight of her and said, "Ah…_there's_ the new lady of the manor." A feminine giggle met Amanda's ears, making her look up. Two men stood in the background. Both wore nice suits: one all black, the other light blue and white. The one in blue had tan skin, while the other had red skin, but both had slicked-back shoulder-length hair. The red-skinned one also had a tail. Amanda then remembered who she was supposed to be searching for, recalling her brief conversation with Charles about their sister.

One of the three women present was a tan-skinned brunette, who had what looked like dragonfly wings tattooed along the backs of her arms and shoulders. Another was tall and fair-skinned, looking almost like a living Barbie with her blue eyes and blond hair, and her white leather cat-suit seemed out of place in late summer. Tapping her chin, Amanda wondered which one could be the girl she was looking for. Just then, another girl stepped forward. This one had short red hair, golden-yellow eyes, and blue scaly skin. She extended her hand and smiled, saying, "Hi there. The name's Mystique." Amanda briefly glanced sideways at her brother, who nodded and said, "Yes, darling. That's Raven." When the girl in question sent him an annoyed glare, he told her, "I'll never call you by that other name. _Never_." A beat of silence passed before Amanda really noted how her sister had introduced herself: "Um…why did you say-?" "Oh, that's just my nickname. Honestly, I don't care what you call me, as long as you're not cursing me out." They giggled. Then, Raven said, "Wow, you're, like…really pretty. Charles just finished telling us about you. Welcome to the family. Amanda's cheeks flushed as she mumbled her thanks.

"So, what's your power", asked the brunette girl, who introduced herself as Angel. Amanda replied, "I'm an empath", and she went on to describe all that entailed. A slight chill ran down her spine when the blond woman, Emma Frost, smiled at her. "What's the problem, sugar? You look a little nervous." "I'm not nervous. It's just that…this is all so new to me. I only learned I even had another family out there a year ago, so…I-I think I'll just need some time to get used to it all." Hank, who'd been standing behind Charles, chimed in with, "You didn't seem the least bit phased this morning. You just walked right past me, not even blinking an eye over how I look." "Well, I had been researching the school for a while before I enrolled, so I had a pretty good idea of what I might see." Amanda affectionately rubbed her thumb over Charles's knuckles when he squeezed her hand, giving him a tiny sideways smile. She fought back a shiver when she again met the blond woman's gaze. Raven giggled and patted her shoulder saying, "Don't let Emma bother you. She can be a little bit intimidating at first, until you get to know her."

Then, a deep voice from the shadows near the front door said, "I hope no one's leaving _me_ out of this little party." A man stepped into the light to join the rest of the group. He stood at just over six feet tall, with short reddish-brown hair, and he appeared to be between thirty and thirty-five years of age. He wore a light grey long-sleeved v-neck t-shirt, which was tucked into khaki cargo pants, along with brown military-style boots. Now, Amanda really was nervous. She wasn't looking at him, but the sudden quiet of the room told her that this had to be Magneto. She focused on the floor, freezing as his boots stopped in front of her. "My, my…what have we here? This must be the new girl." He bent down slightly, so he could make eye-contact. As Amanda finally looked up, her gaze was met by the most gorgeous pair of eyes she'd ever seen.

They literally sparkled, seeming to pierce straight through her. They also held a strange kind of inner darkness, a darkness she couldn't deny was terribly drawing. This was magnified by a strange, yet beautiful quirk: a thin black ring around the edge of the iris. Her breath caught in her throat, and she noted the now-pulsing vein in the side of his neck, a clear sign of a racing heartbeat. Her face grew warm. What was the matter with her? She'd never reacted this way to a guy before. Her eyes quickly traveled along his sculpted cheekbones, before she finally held out her right hand and introduced herself: "Amanda Xavier." Like any proper gentleman, he turned her hand over and kissed her knuckles, replying, "Erik Lehnsherr." He was a devastatingly handsome man. Even his voice…to her, it was like a lion, purring as he relaxed in the sun. As he pulled away, their eyes met once more. The lower half of Erik's face split open in an enormous dimpled smile as he stood straight again, and Amanda's face turned even redder. He said, "Nice to meet you." She smiled, too, and said back, "Likewise."

Erik, for his part, was equally struck by Amanda. There was an air of innocence about her face, but he sensed that it concealed an inner strength. When he first leant in to look into her eyes, he caught the scent of vanilla and oranges that clung to her pinned-up hair, the dampness indicating a recent bath. It was intoxicating, almost making him dizzy. He felt the warmth radiating from her skin…and oh, what amazing eyes she had. They were a pale green, a calming color that reminded him of the stones the Chinese used to make jewelry. He felt the increased pulsing of her veins when he kissed her hand, and he heard the hitch in her breath, hoping she didn't notice the same hitch in his own. His heart leapt into his throat, and if he were honest with himself, he didn't want it to leave there. He suddenly felt an indescribably urge to protect this girl, to keep her at his side and never let her go. He thought, "Pull yourself together, Lehnsherr. You've seen other attractive women before, and this one is no different. Remember, she's Charles's sister, so she's off-limits to you. As nice as she may seem now, she'll never accept you as you are." A quick sideways flick of his eyes told him, much to his relief that the telepath hadn't been listening in.

It was all Erik could do to pull himself away from Amanda, forcing a smile that he saw made her blush furiously. He kept mentally repeating the phrase "she'll never accept you", once again using his anger to give him strength. They exchanged the customary "nice to meet you's", both figuratively crossing their fingers and hoping they could at least be cordial to each other for however long they were forced to live together in the mansion.

A short while later, everyone gathered for drinks on the back porch, and Amanda took the opportunity to get to know her sister better. She walked up next to Raven, who was standing by the balcony, and said, "Wow. Crazy day, huh?" "Yeah, I know. I mean…I knew things would be tense when we came back here, but I never thought we'd get such a nice surprise." Amanda smiled, before realizing exactly what Raven had said: "when _we_ came back", not "when _I_ come back". "You…everyone else was here once before…including Erik?" She glanced over her shoulder at the man, hoping the girl beside her didn't notice the blush as she turned back around. "Yeah, most of us _were_ here before, in October of last year. Didn't Charles tell you how we all met?" "No, not yet." Well, you see it was like this…"

Raven went on to explain the entire story. The group was formed to help the CIA as it dealt with the efforts of a man named Sebastian Shaw, who was trying to use nuclear weapons to start World War 3. She said that he'd died by Erik's hand, but she was vague as to how and why. Amanda didn't ask, though. She could sense it was something very tragic. She was even more proud of her brother now, and of everyone else who helped stop that man from accomplishing what he wanted.

They started talking about more basic things. Raven complimented Amanda's earrings. "Your mom must be worried about you being here, so far away from home." "I'm not so sure about that. She died in a car crash last year." Raven felt her heart sink. "Oh, um…I'm so sorry." Then, to lighten the mood, she asked, "Hey, you want to see what I look like when I'm not in my natural form?" "I thought you could take any form." Well, I can, but this one is my favorite. Just watch, okay?" At Amanda's nod, Raven's head and shoulders took on a normal human skin-tone. Her hair turned sunny-yellow, and her eyes turned corn flower-blue. "Cool. You're blond. My mother was blond." "Awesome. So, how old are you?" "I turn nineteen in two months. But it's so close, that I don't even bother with the technicality." "I don't like those, either. I just turned eighteen last month." "I'm so sorry I missed it. I don't even have a belated gift for you." "It's no problem, trust me."

Their conversation was suddenly cut off when Alex shouted, "Guys, look! There's, like, three shooting stars at once!" The sisters walked back over to Charles, who said, "The meteor shower's starting. I've been waiting for this for a week. It's supposed to look like gold coming down, which is why it's called the Perseus shower." Amanda patted him on the back, but her eyes widened when she looked up. Erik was staring straight at her. The corner of his mouth quirked up in a tiny smile, and she gave one in return, wiggling her fingers in a shy wave. No one could predict how this whole scenario would play out, but all present hoped they could at least get along.

_**AN: The chapters will vary in length, depending on how much action happens in each one. Please, be kind in your reviews.**_


	3. Getting Along

_**AN: Here, Amanda bonds w/ Erik, & we learn some of the metal-bender's slightly-altered backstory. I hope you like what I did w/ it.**_

Over the next couple of weeks, everyone indeed seemed to be getting along quite well, even better than Charles could've hoped for. Honestly, he was just happy to have everyone he cared about back under the same roof again, especially Erik and Raven. His baby sister and his best friend…the thought made him smile, despite everything. Thinking of one sister made his mind drift to the other. Amanda was an instantly lovable person, which had nothing to do with her empathic powers. He was so proud to now have two women in this world who he adored, and who he was honored to be charged with protecting and guiding.

He spun his wheelchair around and moved over to the window of his study, watching Amanda play with some of the younger children. She'd taken that as her duty at the mansion, a kind of entertainment director for all students below age thirteen. The kids truly adored her, and she them. She acted as if she were still a child herself. Softly, Charles questioned how he'd gotten so lucky, knowing how ridiculous that could've sounded to people outside the situation. Sure, there were things he missed since losing the use of his legs, but there was also so much he'd gained. When something precious is taken, you love even deeper the things you still have. That was just simple human nature, a phrase that made Charles giggle. It reminded him of a third important person in his life, someone he knew would hate that phrase.

Shifting his gaze, he observed his best friend. Erik was sitting on the back balcony with a glass of iced tea, silently reading a book. He rarely tore his eyes away from the pages, except to acknowledge a person passing him, or to return a stray toy to the kids whenever it would roll his way. When it happened again, Amanda was the one who went to fetch the soccer ball. Charles watched that particular moment with great interest, though he was too far away to see any real details. He'd noticed the look that passed between the pair at their first meeting. But so far, he'd seen nothing which appeared to go beyond that initial, casual flirtation. In fact, they'd actually been quite friendly towards each other.

Meanwhile, Amanda was having a great time with the children. She glanced up and noticed her brother watching through the window, smiling and waving at him when he caught her looking back. He did the same, and she blew him a kiss. She'd been living at the mansion just over two weeks, but it felt more like a lifetime, as if this was where she was always meant to be. She hoped her mother was proud of her, and even her father, though she never met him. In one sense, she really didn't need to. She found all of what had to be his best qualities in Charles. She admired her brother's strength, amazed at how he was so positive. She didn't even care that he'd yet to tell her how his paralysis had occurred, knowing he'd talk whenever he was ready. She loved him so much, and it was the same for Raven. As she resumed chasing the soccer ball with the kids, she began thinking about all the other people in the mansion she'd bonded with.

She'd developed friendships with pretty much everyone, though she still kept on her toes around Emma and the two black-haired men, who she learned were known as Riptide and Azazel. The first could make tornadoes with his hands, and the second could teleport anywhere he wanted. Emma was telepathic like Charles, but she could also make her skin diamond-hard and bulletproof. Amanda was also struck by the talent of Angel, the brunette girl with the dragonfly wing tattoos. Those marks were in fact wings, and she'd been nice enough to take Amanda flying with her the day before yesterday. It was such an exhilarating feeling. Hank, Sean, and Alex were like an extra trio of brothers to her. Sean was the big practical joker in the house. If you found toothpaste smeared around your bedroom doorknob, salt in your coffee instead of sugar, or suddenly got sprayed by a taped-down sink hose, chances were that he was somehow involved.

This only left one more relationship to think about: Erik. The mere sound of his name sent her heart racing. He was always very polite to her, always impeccably mannered. He'd even throw in a shy joke or two whenever he though she looked upset, just to see her laugh. He often came across to people as cold, commanding, and mysterious. But Amanda knew there was a soft center beneath that hard candy shell. She caught glimpses of it every day: the deeply intellectual discussions he'd have with her brother while they played chess, the way he made funny faces at the younger kids when he threw a random toy back to them, the way he'd stare into his books with such passion for the story within, and most importantly…the way he'd smile at her when he thought she didn't notice. She did, though. She noticed everything. She knew he was hiding some big dark secret, which obviously caused him great pain. Even when his guard wasn't dropped, she could see whatever was bothering him, flickering in the back of his eyes. That's probably why he always appeared to be slightly uncomfortable. Amanda had begun toying with the idea of learning to speak German, a reminder of home just to make him happy. Wait a minute…since when did she care so much about making Erik happy?

She was standing near the base of the stairs, lost in her thoughts, when she was suddenly knocked to the ground. A chorus of voices began coming towards her, one in particular shouting, "I'm so sorry, Miss 'Manda. I didn't see you there. I didn't mean to kick the ball that hard." Groaning and holding her head, Amanda stood and told him, ""No, no, it's okay. Really, it's fine. I just…I just need a minute to get my bearings back again. Now…where _did_ that ball go?" That same little boy, Dmitri, pointed over her shoulder and replied nervously, "I t-think it w-went up there. Back on the balcony again." She smiled and patted his shoulder comfortingly, silently telling him it was okay. When he returned her smile, she whispered, "I'll go get it."

She jogged up the stairs, only to trip at the last second. Just before falling completely, a hand out of nowhere grabbed and caught her. Then, it was there again…that smooth, purring voice she'd grown to know so well. He asked if she was alright. As he helped her stand, she told him, "I'm fine, Erik. I just got a little scraped up, that's all." "Are you sure?" "Yeah. I just came up here to get the kids' soccer ball. Thanks for caring, though. I appreciate it." He nodded in understanding, before crouching down and rolling the ball from under the table. He kicked it down to the children, who cheered as they began to chase it again. A little African girl with platinum hair looked briefly over her shoulder and shouted, "Thanks, Mister Erik", before jogging after her friends. She had no idea that she'd one day see that man as an enemy.

Erik smiled as he watched them leave, and so did Amanda. She tapped his shoulder and asked, "Do you ever think about that?" "Think about what?" Pointing at the children, she said, "That. Do you ever think about having kids someday?" When he tensed up, she touched his wrist and asked if he was okay. He pressed his lips tightly together and nodded saying, "I tried it once. Not long after I broke out of…after I found a new path, I reunited with an old childhood friend of mine. Her name was Magda, and she was a gypsy. We were very close. We cared deeply for each other, and we both thought that would be enough to sustain us. We decided to marry, thinking it would be the ultimate way of leaning on each other." Amanda saw his left hand clench into a fist. She covered his hand with her own, encouraging him to keep going.

He continued, "I came back to our house one day after work, and I found a note on the kitchen counter from Magda, saying she had an errand to run and would be back soon. The hours went by. I called everyone I could think of, even her doctor. He said she'd been there earlier that day, but seemed fine when she left his office. He said she was actually quite happy, but he didn't tell me why. I was going mad just staying inside, waiting for her, so I decided to go for a walk. I was crossing a bridge on the outskirts of town, when…w-when I saw a peculiar shape on the riverbank. It was covered in a huge tarp. I-I thought it was a dog at first, but…b-but it wasn't."

He paused, and Amanda rubbed her thumb over his knuckles. Even though she, too, found the story sad, she knew it was best to make him finish it. She used her gift, giving him the need to conclude the story. Sure enough, Erik immediately went into detailing the final events. He said, "I pulled back the tarp, and…I found Magda's body, riddled with bullets. There were too many for me to take out, and she'd apparently been dead for several hours." Curious, Amanda asked, "Take out? Were you, like, a surgeon or something?" Erik laughed and replied, "No, I wasn't a surgeon. That's my mutation. I can control metal. That's why the others call me Magneto. When the group first formed, we all came up with our own special code names. Well technically, your sister picked mine and Charles's, but…I've never found any real fault with it." He gave a tiny smile, which she returned.

After just over a minute of comfortable silence, Erik said, "Anyway, I reported what I found to the local police, but there was very little they could, or _wanted_, to do. There was so much corruption there. I'd had enough. While I was packing to leave the house, I found an old picture of someone…someone I'd had past dealings with that I never resolved. I figured that point was a good enough time, so I went in search of him and never looked back once. It was through that search that I met Charles, Mystique, Beast, and pretty much every other mutant here above the age of fifteen." "That man you mentioned…that was Sebastian Shaw, wasn't it? Raven told me you finally killed him several months ago." "He got what he deserved." Amanda felt him tense up again, and she sent out a pulse of calming energy. He seemed to sense it, because he turned to her and said softly, "Thank you." "No problem."

Another couple of minutes later, Amanda said, "I'm sorry about Magda." Erik replied, "So am I, but in some ways…in some ways she was lucky, I suppose. As much as we liked each other, I think we both knew we were fighting for something that didn't exist. Friendship and deep affection aren't enough to sustain a marriage. It would've ended sooner or later. Now, she doesn't have to worry about that anymore." He patted her back and started walking off, telling her that their conversation was over.

Amanda couldn't let him go with such dark thoughts. The vibes he was giving off were starting to make her uneasy. She just wanted to see him smile again, to make him walk away feeling uplifted. The answer blared in her mind: play to his vanity. She jogged after him down the stairs, to a lower part of the balcony. "Hey, Erik!" When he stopped and turned around, she asked, "Want to show me how you use your gift? I mean, everyone else had done the same with theirs so far." He chuckled under his breath and walked back towards her. "Sure, why not?" When he reached her, he motioned for her to face the right, in the direction of a huge satellite dish sitting in the middle of some nearby trees. As he rubbed his hands together in preparation, he mumbled, "This is like Deja-vu." "What?" "Never mind. Just watch." Erik then held out his hands and focused straight ahead. A loud creaking noise drew Amanda's attention as the dish slowly began to turn. There was a soft grunt to her left, and the dish turned more sharply. "That's so cool!" At that moment, the dish stopped, and Erik collapsed against the balcony wall, gasping for air.

Amanda patted him on the back, softly whispering for him to relax. He mumbled his thanks for her compliment and said, "It usually takes more energy for me to move bigger things. I still haven't learned how to harness my powers to that degree without the effort, for a significant length of time yet. The fact that I could move it at all, well…you can thank your brother for that one." It wasn't long before they both started laughing. Amanda realized that, strangely enough, this had been the longest conversation they'd had in the past two weeks. As Erik stood straight again, they looked around and realized something else important. All the kids were gone, and the sun was starting to go down. The sky itself was also very cloudy. Exactly how long had they been talking? And furthermore…how in the world did they miss eight kids, running past them? Amanda mumbled, "We must've been so caught up", to which Erik replied, "Indeed." She blushed when he then smiled at her. She told him, "Well, come on. Grab your book. We better go inside. It's getting a little nippy, and I don't want one of us to catch a cold."

They were steps away from getting inside, when thunder suddenly exploded across the sky. Rain began pouring down in buckets. Erik swore under his breath, and held his jacket over Amanda's head as they bolted for the door, both trying not to slip. Once they finally did get to safety, Amanda saw how Erik looked like a drowned rat, and she didn't know whether to laugh or coo in sympathy. "How's your book?" He reached under his shirt and took the book out, replying with a smirk and a wink, "Never better." When he handed it to her, she asked in a questioning tone, "_Frankenstein_? Interesting. Why _this_ book?" As he took it back, he said, "It's my favorite story. I don't know why. I guess I see myself in it." He sighed, and Amanda gently gripped his forearm. "You're not a monster, Erik." He was about to reply, when her brother wheeled around the corner.

The telepath seemed mildly amused. "Would either of you care to tell me why there's now a giant puddle on my floor?" They glanced at each other as they tried to come up with an excuse, embarrassed blushes on both of their faces. For his part, the man before them simply laughed and said, "Relax. I'm not deaf. I heard the thunder." He turned his attention to Erik. "Go on upstairs and get dried off. We can't have anyone getting sick." "Yes, Dad", Erik said with a wink. "Oh, don't _you_ start." They kept on laughing as the metal-bender jogged towards the staircase and disappeared up it.

Charles than said to Amanda, "I don't know what you said or did to pry that story out of him so soon, but I'm actually glad you did. It took him a much longer while to tell _me_ about Magda. I always thought that purging those emotions would make him feel somewhat less bitter." "Well, I didn't actually do anything. We were watching the kids play, and I asked if he ever thought about one day becoming a father. He went into the whole story from there." "Ah, but you see, he didn't give you the _whole_ story, Mandy-lou. And your original question proves why." "My orig—" Amanda froze, realizing what he was getting at. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as she asked, "Magda was pregnant, wasn't she?" He nodded and said, "Shortly before leaving the country, Erik called the doctor to say good-bye. The man told him that she was on her way home to tell him the news, when she must've been caught in the crossfire of a drive-by shooting." When Amanda began rubbing at her eyes, Charles reached into his jacket pocket and handed her a handkerchief.

She then said, "No wonder he's so angry. Poor guy…I feel so sorry for him. If I'd known, I would never have even asked in the first place." She sniffled, and Charles reached out to comfortingly squeeze her hand. "It actually gets worse from there, love, but…I'm afraid you'll have to wait until he's ready for the discussion." "I can help him, Charlie. I _know_ I can." I believe you can, too. I'm doing my best to help him, as well. Erik just…he hasn't had the same upbringing as you and I. He grew up in a very different world. He's forgotten what real family love and unity are like. With any luck, and quite a bit of hope, his time here will change his perspective on certain things." Amanda wasn't sure she wanted to know what her brother meant by "certain things", so she didn't ask.

Once she'd composed herself, Charles told her, "You should get cleaned up, too. I've got a surprise for the students later tonight." "Hmm…Do you think you could let _me_ in on this little surprise?" "I've set up a movie screening." "Ooh, which movie?" He laughed and said, "No dice, little sister. You'll have to wait until tonight, just like everyone else." "But Charlie-" "Don't 'But Charlie' me. Go get washed up." "What about the water on the floor?" "Don't worry. I'll get someone to clean it." She kissed the top of his head and jogged towards the stairs. As she went up, she heard him laugh again and say, "My word, Raven was _right_! I _am_ starting to sound like an old man!" She couldn't hold back her own laughter, not caring if he heard her or not.

_**AN: Again, I hope you'll only be kind in your reviews.**_


	4. The Movie Night

Amanda loved her brother's surprises. Charles always knew how to plan a good time. If he said he had a movie chosen for tonight, it must've been good enough to meet his high standards. This was also doubly-special, because it would be the first movie night of the school term. The white denim shorts and teal, short-sleeved, peasant blouse Amanda chose were perfect for the warm summer night. She also wore a pair of dark brown hiking boots, along with a very special present. Three days after she first got to the mansion, Charles had given her a silver bangle bracelet, saying that Raven had one as well: "I've now made it a tradition, Mandy-lou. All the girls in the family will get one." The bracelet was a thin band that forked on either side of an oval in the middle, which itself was made of a darker almost burned-looking silver, and had the Xavier family crest on it. That crest also served as the logo for the school, a fact which told a lot about Charles's personality. It said that he viewed every person who came through the doors as instant family, rather than just students to be taught. He would do anything for them. Amanda wagered he'd even die for them, but she didn't want to dwell on such dark thoughts. She quickly braided her hair and headed downstairs for dinner.

She could already smell the ravioli cooking from down the hall, giving an inward sigh that the meal would be one of her favorites. The minute she walked into the dining room, Amanda was greeted with warm smiles and a chorus of "Hey." She smiled back and asked, "Who was the chef tonight?" Two heads, Alex and Angel, peered around the corner of the kitchen doorway. Angel said, "That would be us. My idea, though. Seemed like a good night for Italian." Alex chimed in with, "I was more than willing to help a lady in need." "Yeah, after I practically had to blackmail you." "Hey, help is help. Don't knock it." "Sure, Havok." Amanda burst into a giggle-fit. Everyone here got along so well, that she found it hard to believe they'd ever argued or had been living apart for the last few months. Deep inside, she hoped it would stay this way forever. A voice in her mind 'replied', "You and me both, sweetheart.  
She smiled as Charles wheeled into the dining room. She sat in the chair to his right, just as Alex was poking his head around the corner again. Greeting his teacher with a simple "Hey, Professor", he then locked eyes with Amanda and gave her outfit a once-over. "Where are _you_ going tonight, Brunette Barbie?" She playfully stuck her out tongue and said, "You're just jealous, honey." Angel lightly smacked the back of his head and said, "Yeah, dude, you're _so_ jealous." The whole dining area began rumbling in soft laughter, with the only pause being Sean's chime-in of "Don't be such a hater, 'Lex." Suddenly, another voice joined the group. "Why shouldn't he be jealous?" Amanda's head popped up at hearing the familiar purr, her gaze following everyone else's to see Erik in the doorway.

He was in rare form that night, wearing dark blue-jeans instead of his usual cargos or dress pants. He was also wearing a short-sleeved black polo shirt, another rarity since Amanda knew he didn't like showing off his arms too much. She found herself liking this bravery, noticing how his sleeves looked ready to tear from being stretched so tight around his muscles. A deep shade of crimson flooded her cheeks, something no one else saw, but Erik's secret inner-caveman was pleased to. He couldn't resist the smirk that appeared on his face, nor continuing his comment on jealousy with "He has every right to be", and capping it off with a wink. Amanda quickly looked away, before anyone saw her face darken even further. Erik swallowed back a sigh and mentally repeated what had become his mantra: "She'll never accept you." It was the only thing that made being around her easy. If he didn't get too close, he wouldn't have to worry about getting hurt…again. He'd already lost his mother and Magda, though he regretted that he couldn't have been the husband she deserved. He was done with pain. He told himself, "Tease her all you like. Teasing is harmless. But remember, Lehnsherr, if you never jump, than you'll never fall."

Charles shot Erik a quizzical look as he sat down at the other end of the table, largely due to how his sister was suddenly reluctant to look the metal-bender in the eye. Until then, that hadn't been even the remotest of problems. Erik and Amanda had a great rapport. He'd often see them laughing together, like they were sharing a joke no one else was in on, including him. But the glance they'd just exchanged was no mere joke. He didn't really need to read their minds, either. Erik was a big flirt. Charles had known that from the moment he met him. To be honest, he was too, though new responsibilities to the school combined with paralysis had naturally tempered him down a bit. It wasn't the first time his friend had cast Amanda so-called "goo-goo eyes". He'd done it the day they met, too.

It all just seemed playful to Charles at first, nothing for him to really worry about. However, that wasn't what had the telepath confused. It was what happened after Amanda looked away, the strange flicker he'd seen in Erik's eyes. It was an emotion he'd rarely seen on the man's face, one some believed didn't exist for him: fear. It was like he wanted to say something but couldn't, or rather he wouldn't allow himself to. It was like a dark memory had clouded his vision. Erik then saw how Charles was staring at him. He tilted his head in confusion and mouthed "What?" Charles smiled and shook his head, waving him off. Erik shrugged, letting the matter go as everyone settled down to eat.

Amanda had noticed the exchange between her brother and Erik, but chose to ignore it. She was reaching for the salad bowl when she noticed something important. "Um, Charlie…where's all the kids? Shouldn't they be eating here with us?" "No, actually, they won't be. One of the recent renovations I had done here was the construction of a rather large cafeteria. That's where they are." She nodded in understanding. A few minutes went by with some minor small talk, before Amanda then started noticing their seating arrangements.

Erik and Charles sat at opposite ends of the table. All of Erik's people were on one side. It started with Raven to Charles's left, followed by Angel, Riptide, Emma, and Azazel. From her brother's right sat her, then Hank, Sean, and Alex. Alex, in particular, looked incredibly uncomfortable sitting so close to Erik, despite the one empty seat between them. He was trying to hide it, though. Amanda made a mental note to ask him about it in the near-future. She also briefly wondered if this arrangement was symbolic of something. But once again, she overlooked in in favor of a calm, quiet meal.

A few hours later, Amanda was putting on her pajamas in preparation for the movie. This consisted of a white short-sleeved t-shirt with a pink flower on it, pale pink jogging shorts, and darker pink bootie-socks. She'd pulled her hair into a high-set ponytail and was tying her bathrobe, when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. It happened more than once, causing her to yell, "Yeah, yeah, hold your horses! I'm coming!" She gasped when she opened it, the person on the other side saying, "You know…it's highly improper for a lady to shout like that." Flustered, but determined to not let him see it, Amanda replied, "Since when have you ever cared for propriety, Erik?" He put his right hand to his heart and made a mock-pained expression. "You _wound_ me precious." She began fidgeting with her robe ties as she said, "Do I? Do you feel a little bit embarrassed, perhaps? Like maybe…oh, I don't know…like how I was almost embarrassed at dinner tonight?" His face then became an amused one as he asked, "Embarrassed by what, pray tell?"

Amanda closed her door, walking with Erik down the halls and staircases, trying to ignore his repeated sing-song comment of, "I'm waiting for an answer." She replied, "I'll given an answer when you ask me nicely." Her heart skipped a beat when his hand touched her shoulder. As their eyes met, Erik's voice took on a more child-like tone as he asked simply "Please" and puffed out his bottom lip. Amanda tried to keep a straight face, failing miserably when his "puppy-dog face" instantly turned into a wicked grin. She burst out laughing. She could never stay mad at him when he did that, and he knew it. He really was too clever for his own good sometimes.

She sighed and told him, "You were practically making bedroom eyes at me in front of my brother. Do you have any idea how weird and awkward that was?" Erik was about to concede the point, but he then fully realized what she'd said. Was he really being that obvious? Deciding to play it cool, he asked in a playful tone, "How do _you_ know what bedroom eyes look like, hmm?" Amanda repeatedly told herself to not blush, but his soft, slight laugh told her she was unsuccessful. By this point, they were both leaning against a wall, close to the final staircase. Steeling herself, Amanda looked him straight in the eyes and said, "You're a sneaky little devil, Erik Lehnsherr." His eyebrows twitched up, and he made a noise that sounded like "ooh". He leaned in, tip-toeing dangerously close to invading her personal space, and replied, "A devil, you say? Well then, if a devil you call me-", and he leaned in just a tiny bit closer to finish with, "—better the devil you know." Amanda felt herself nearly gasping for air, but she didn't understand why. In that moment, she felt like he _was_ her air, a somewhat frightening idea. She was also immensely grateful that the man before her wasn't a telepath like her brother.

Her brother! Charles must've been wondering what was taking them so long! She pressed her shaking right hand against Erik's chest, gently nudging him back and saying softly, "Charlie will be expecting us, and so will everyone else." He did as she asked, moving back with a nod, but not before she caught a flicker of some undeterminable emotion in his icy eyes. Actually, it was more like a mixture of emotions, but she didn't have the time right then to use her gift and decipher them. For a brief moment, they froze, noticing how Amanda's hand still rested in the same place.

A small voice in the back of her head was suddenly growing in volume, urging her to not only leave her hand there, but to run it in a few other directions. She could feel the taught, lean muscle beneath the fabric, which made her throat go dry. A shiver ran down her spine, and she took note of the now-pulsing vein in Erik's neck. Sweat was just beginning to bead up around it, and she felt the same thing happen on the back of her own neck. Time itself had seemed to stop. They quickly jumped apart and went downstairs, heading for the new auditorium. Both chose to ignore how Erik's heart had thundered beneath Amanda's palm.

Everyone was happy to see them, though only three people have any real reaction. Charles smiled and patted Amanda's hand, where it briefly rested on his shoulder. Hank asked "Where have _you_ been" as she sat beside him. She playfully smacked his shoulder and giggled, pausing when she noticed the look on Alex's face. He was glaring—literally glaring—at Erik. He flicked his eyes to Amanda, before going back to staring hard at the older man. There was obvious anger in that stare, but it also seemed to be mixed with fear and…was that jealousy? Amanda was confused. What reason did he have for staring that way? The anger on Alex's face seemed to only get worse when Erik sat to her right on the couch. She shifted slightly, the feeling of his body heat so close making her a bit uncomfortable. The movement didn't go unnoticed. When she looked up again, she saw how Alex looked like he wanted to burn Erik to a crisp. Erik shrugged his shoulders as if to ask what was wrong, and he tapped his best friend on the arm to show what was going on. Charles turned to face Alex, whispering his name in a questioning tone when he saw the boy's facial expression. The kids were starting to come in, and Amanda didn't want them to pick up on this. With a swift movement of her hand, she sent a pulse of calming energy to the teenager, making him turn away and look at the movie screen.

Amanda smiled as the children took their seats in the rows of couches behind them, waving at the few that she was particularly close to. The only moment of nervousness happened as the lights went down, when Erik put his left arm on the back of the couch, a spot that happened to be right behind her. He was looking straight at the screen, so she knew it wasn't intentional. She was pleased to see that the movie being shown was "Blue Hawaii". There was something comforting about the voice of Elvis Presley, which made it perfect music for an empath like her. She cast her brother a grateful smile as the opening credits began to roll, and the title song starting to play. She sighed in contentment and mumbled, "I want this song played at my wedding someday." From the corner of her eye, she saw Erik quirk up an eyebrow, which made her giggle. He flashed a sideways smile and shifted his seating position.

She hadn't told Charles, but Amanda had already seen "Blue Hawaii" once before. Since she knew what was going to happen, she didn't feel too bad as she got a little sleepy part-way into the film, and her eyelids drifted closed. She didn't know how much time had passed, when she started to come back to consciousness. She opened her eyes slightly, just enough to see Elvis and his leading lady, sailing down a river on a wooden raft during their wedding. Her eyes closed again for a minute. As they did, she heard the sound of the children leaving the auditorium. The slight discomfort of the noise made her squirm against the warm, solid object she was currently next to. She squirmed a second time, a soft, purring chuckle making her freeze. The voice which made that laugh asked in her ear, "Comfy there?"

Amanda's eyes flew open, and she finally took full note of her surroundings. The eyes of her siblings, along with seven other sets, were staring straight at her. Raven had her hand clamped over her mouth, obviously trying to conceal her laughter. Alex looked even angrier than before. Everyone else, including Charles, looked mildly amused. Amanda swallowed hard, nervously hoping they weren't staring for the reason she thought. She felt around the solid mass beside her, only to have her eyes grow even bigger when it rumbled with slight laughter. That all-too-familiar voice said, "That tickles." She looked up, her mint-green irises meeting ones of fresh-ice-blue. Her suspicions were now confirmed.

She was curled up in a near-fetal position, snuggled right…against…Erik. So, she did the only thing that felt right. She jumped over the back of the couch, squealing in sheer horror and embarrassment. Although, leave it to Sean to diffuse the sudden awkward tension: "Bow-chicka-wow-wow." Amanda picked up a pillow and threw it at him, saying, "Oh, shut up. It's not my fault I'm a dead-to-the-world sleeper." Erik glanced over the back of the couch and said, "Technically, it _is_ your fault." She lightly smacked the back of his head with her fingertips and replied, "Don't _you_ start." Pretending to be outraged, he stood and asked, "Did you just backhand me?" He then turned to Charles. "Did I just get backhanded by your sister?" "What can I say? She's a strong girl." That was enough to turn the situation from humiliating to funny. Even Amanda couldn't help but laugh. She said, "That's right, and you all had best keep that in mind." By then, everyone was laughing with her, and the incident seemed to have been forgotten.

Hours later, long after everyone else in the mansion had gone to bed, Amanda crept back down to the kitchen. She climbed on top of the counter, digging through one particular cupboard as she searched for what she needed. Suddenly, a voice threw off her focus: "What are _you_ doing up so late?" Her head jerked up with surprise, bumping the cabinet door as she turned around, groaning in pain as she gently rubbed the top of her head. Erik was leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed, his hair slightly messy from his pillow. He kept it simple with his pajamas: just a pair of plain white socks and navy-blue-and-white striped sleep pants. However, his open black bathrobe was what really caught her eye. It drew her attention to his perfectly toned bare chest, and the light dusting of coppery hair scattered across it. She felt her face instantly get hot, and she was thankful for the shadows that hid this.

She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and turned away to hide her blush, climbing off the counter with the object of her search in her hand as she said, "I could ask you the same thing." "I just wanted a glass of water, okay? My throat is a bit scratchy. Your turn." When he walked over to her, she held up the small box and said, "Vanilla Chai Tea. It always works when I'm anxious or have trouble sleeping." He nodded and grabbed a glass out of another cupboard, filling at the tap as Amanda looked around for a mug. Once she found one, she then started heating up some water. While she waited for the water to boil, she turned to Erik and said, "Sore throat? I hope you're not getting sick." The right corner of his mouth twitched in a smile. "You mean…you actually care about me?" She swallowed hard and gave a nervous giggle. "Don't flatter yourself." He crossed the room, once again leaning close to the border of her personal space, and he said, "I really think you do. I think the princess of Xavier Manor cares about the evil Magneto." "I hardly think you're evil, Erik." "Oh? Well then, I suppose I'll have to work on that, won't I?" She giggled and replied, "You always know how to make me laugh." He smiled and was about to say more, but he was forced to pause and cough.

Instinctively, Amanda reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Are you sure you're not getting sick?" "Yeah, I'm alright. I just need to get back to sleep. I'll be fine by morning." He washed out the glass and put it back. Watching him, she said, "Oh, um…I'm sorry about…what happened earlier tonight. You know, at the movie." He made a "hmph"-type noise and looked over his shoulder, saying, "I'm not." She just shook her head. As he walked past her to leave, he patted her shoulder and said, "See you tomorrow." She nodded and repeated those same words back. She watched him go, and she fidgeted when she noticed the slight warmth still on the spot where he'd touched her. He winked at her as he started going upstairs. She didn't see the dramatic change in his facial expression after he disappeared, stopping to bang his head in his bedroom door when he finally reached it. He mumbled to himself, "What are you doing, Lehnsherr? What are you doing?"

Meanwhile, Amanda was still standing in the kitchen, stunned. He'd come dangerously close to the phenomena known as "putting the moves on her". And what really scared her was…she sort of liked it. Her heart was still racing as she finished her hot tea, rinsed out the mug, and went back up to her bedroom. She flopped onto her mattress with a heavy sigh. She questioned softly, "What on Earth is wrong with me? I can't get mixed up in something like this. I'm still practically a kid." Well, that part was up for debate. She was just over a month away from turning nineteen. She still felt like a girl in some ways, yet was very much a woman. However, Erik Lehnsherr was definitely all man, no outside trace of boy left. What was she going to do? She couldn't pursue this. He was her brother's best friend, for crying out loud! And furthermore, despite being somewhat buddy-buddy, there still seemed to be some kind of underlying tension between his group and the mansion gang. She'd have to figure out what it was soon, but it could wait for now. She thought about what Erik had said earlier, when she apologized for her impromptu snuggling: "I'm not." He was just being playful, though…right?

_**AN: O-kay, so it looks like the Romance Express is now taking off, full-steam ahead. Amanda & Erik are having their first real pangs of lust for each other, & the seed of a one-sided love rivalry has been planted. Again, as always, please be kind in your reviews. Thanks.**_


	5. Gossip

_**AN: Poor Amanda just can't catch a break w/ the mansion's rumor-mill.**_

Over the next couple of days, Erik continued to mutter small complaints about his still-scratchy throat. He started taking more and more hot drinks, even during the day, unusual for the warm weather they were fortunate to still be having. Amanda noticed this. She saw how reserved he was starting to be with everyone, not just her. One morning, she was having her breakfast, a cheese-and-raspberry pastry with a banana and coffee, on the porch. As she read her _Jekyll & Hyde_ book, she noticed him on the second balcony behind her, clearly engrossed in his own story. He looked up once and smiled at her. She smiled back, but the moment was ruined when he went into yet another bought of coughing. It was so bad this time, he was forced to stand up and go back inside, mouthing the words "I'm so sorry" to her as he turned around. Seconds after he disappeared, Charles came through the back door. He spotted Amanda and motioned for her to join him, which she did after closing her book.

She pulled up a chair and sat down, asking, "What's up, big brother?" His question stunned her: "Are you feeling okay?" "What? Oh, um…y-yeah. Yeah, I'm fine. I am _perfectly_ fine. I'm a little worried about Erik, though." Charles sighed, and "I thought as much"-type sigh. She ignored that and went on to tell him, "I think he's sick. He's been acting really weird lately. I mean, weirder than usual." When that earned the laugh she hoped for, she said, "You've known him longer than me. Does he always act like that when he's ill?" "Yes, he does, unfortunately. Erik doesn't like to admit weakness of any kind. I think he's always worried about being mocked or otherwise hurt over it." Amanda nodded in understanding, before then turning her head in confusion when she noticed how Charles was staring at her. "What's wrong?" He sighed and said, "Actually…this conversation was meant to be _about_ Erik."

A part of Amanda knew this was coming, but she still wondered why it had to come from her brother. Taking a deep breath, she placed her right hand over his left one and said, "It's alright, Charlie. Ask away." "What do you feel about Erik?" She breathed an inward sigh of relief. "_What_ do you feel" could be construed as meaning how she felt through her gift, not her actual emotions, a question that would've been defined as "_How_ do you feel?" It was a great loophole, one that helped avoid any possible awkwardness between them. She said, "Well…I feel that he's very hurt, as you've already told me. He's normally all-business or all-intellect, rarely showing his humorous or sweet side unless he feels it's safe to, which is quite rare. He's vulnerable, but he doesn't like to admit it, even to himself. It takes a lot for him to let someone in. But once he does, the bond remains for life. When left unchecked, the memories of whatever emotional and mental damage he once endured can also cause him to have quite a nasty temper."

Charles was amazed at her quick, but surprisingly detailed and accurate analysis. It wasn't exactly what he was expecting from her, but he had a feeling it was the best answer he'd get at this point, and he refused to read her mind without her permission. So, he simply smiled, nodded, and said, "Give him time, Mandy-lou. Give him time." He was about to say something else when one of the younger children, a seven-year-old girl named Rosie came running out. Her slight lisp was adorable as she said, "Pafesser, Dakta Moki says there's a phone for you." He giggled and ruffled her hair, telling her, "Lead the way, little one." Amanda followed, chuckling under her breath at how Rosie had messed up "Professor" and "Doctor McCoy".

She watched Charles disappear into his study, when a female voice came out of nowhere. She inwardly cringed when she saw Emma, standing at the bottom of the staircase. The two young women were cordial enough around each other, but something about her just irked Amanda to no end, and she didn't know why. She managed a simple "Hey", to which Emma answered, "You're a filthy little liar, sugar. You know that, right?" "A liar about what?" "Uh, _hel-lo_? _Magneto_? Does _that_ name ring a bell?" Amanda paled, swallowing hard and saying, "I don't know what you're talking about." "As if you don't. Remember, I can read minds just as well as Brother Dearest can. However, unlike _him_, I have no qualms about checking up where I feel it's needed." When there was no further answer, she continued, "Look, I'm not stupid. I know you've got it bad for Erik. But you shouldn't be ashamed of it, sweetie. There's nothing wrong with it. He _is_ quite a hottie, after all." Amanda briefly looked away, schooling her features into a neutral expression before saying, "I can't be ashamed of something I don't have or feel." As she walked out the back door again, Emma asked, "Where are you _going_ so fast?" A response of "To the game room" was thrown over her shoulder.

When Amanda got to the game room, which was attached to the auditorium, she discovered the space was already occupied. Once she realized who it was, she said, "Hey, Angel, what's up?" The brunette girl's head snapped over her shoulder, and her lips parted in a brilliant smile. "Hey! Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to check out some of the games I heard were here. This is actually my first time at the mansion, so I'm still learning my way around." She described her time with Sebastian Shaw, before Erik killed him and took over leadership. "Leadership of _what_?" Angel shook her head and said, "It's…complicated. My tired brain can't keep up with it right now." Amanda giggled and replied, "Been there." She then complimented the other girl's makeup: "How do you do that every day? I'm envious." "It's actually not as hard as you'd think. Honestly for the most part, the more makeup it _looks_ like a person's wearing, the less they're _actually_ wearing, and the less time it usually takes." Amanda nodded, muttering a soft "Makes sense" before getting them two Cokes from the machine. As Angel opened hers and took a sip, she said, "So, what's the story with you and Magneto? You two have been getting pretty cozy lately." "You, too? My gosh! Emma practically ambushed me in the main hall for the same reason. That's why I came out here."

By now, Angel was starting to laugh. "Emma ambushed you? That girl never can resist a good chance to gossip." "And _you're_ any better?" An "I'll give you that one"-type nod was followed by, "Oh, it gets better. I think my brother was fishing around earlier, too. Gosh, I can't believe people are all up-in-arms about that one little incident last night." "One little incident? Girlfriend, you were _snuggling_ him." "Well, what could I do? I was knocked out asleep." "Many true things are said in jokes, honey, and also when our guards are let down in sleep." Amanda took another sip from her soda, continuing to drink until she felt her blush fade. Finally, she said, "I didn't hear _Erik_ complain." "Of course, _he_ wouldn't complain. He's a _man_!" Both of them burst out laughing, before heading over to the pool table. They set down their sodas and started playing.

After a couple of minutes, Angel asked again, "Seriously, though, what do you think of him?" "Who?" When the brunette rolled her eyes, Amanda said, "Well, so far, he seems like an alright guy. I mean…look, I know he's likely had a traumatic childhood and life up to this point, so I'm trying to be considerate. I don't really know him that well yet, so I think it's too early for me to make a fair judgment." Another eye-roll was followed by, "I know a little Shakespeare, and I think this whole thing is getting dangerously close to a case of 'Methinks the lady doth protest too much'." Even after a scoff and a few more shots with the pool cues, she still refused to give up. Finally, Amanda gave in and told her, "If you're just going for the superficial side of things…I certainly think he's attractive." "Who's attractive?" She instantly spit out her soda upon hearing that familiar voice.

Amanda looked over her shoulder, smiling nervously. "Oh, um…hi, Erik." He chuckled and replied, "Hello there." Her breath hitched at how he rolled the 'r' in 'there', but she cleared her throat in an attempt to conceal that. After smoothing out her shirt and tossing the now-empty soda can in the garbage, she leaned against the pool table and said, "So, what's going on? Does Charlie need me for something?" "No, actually, but Beast does. He says it's a medical thing." Sudden realization came over here, and she slapped her palm against her forehead. "That's _right_! I'm supposed to update my shot records today! Ugh…_shoot_, I _hate_ needles." Angel patted her shoulder and said, "Good luck, girl." "Not funny, and not helping." The brunette shrugged and laughed. Amanda then turned back to Erik and asked, "Walk me there?" "It would be my pleasure, Miss Xavier." A naughty little voice in a shadowed corner of her mind wondered _what_ _else_ would be his pleasure, but she forced herself to ignore it. Taking a deep breath to fight the blush, she tucked her right hand into the offered crook of his elbow, surprised at the security she felt in doing so. She threw an "Oh, hush"-type glance back over her shoulder after hearing Angel mumble a soft "Uh-huh."

**_AN: Please be forgiving of any error you may find. I had a bit of a family emergency over the last 2 days, so my mind's still a little frazzled. Anyway, coming up in the next chapter, we get a dose of drama. Amanda finally learns about what happened on that beach, but Charles isn't the first one to tell her. Things get heavy._**


	6. Facts

As she and Erik walked out of the game room, Amanda asked him, "So, did you enjoy being Mr. Nosy?" "Nosy? Me? I wouldn't dream of it." "Mm-hm. Sure." She then said, "Angel was telling me about how you're some kind of leader, like there's this big movement going on." "Oh, there is. There's a revolution coming sooner than most think, where-." He stopped himself and laughed before continuing, "It's something better explained at another time, in another place." Amanda sighed. She knew when she was being blown off. "I'm not a child, Erik. I understand a lot more than you're willing to believe." "I'm very well-aware that you're not a child." He winked at her, causing her to blush, and a delightfully wicked tingly feeling shot through her whole body. Trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice, she told him, "All I meant was that I care. I don't mind listening to other people's opinions, even if I don't agree with them. There's nothing you could tell me that I would be judgmental over. You can trust me, Erik." They stopped walking, Erik suddenly turning towards her, his eyes staring directly into her own. She softly repeated, "You can trust me." He gave a quick nod, and the two continued on. The rest of their short journey to the mansion was relatively quiet.

Hank was already waiting for Amanda inside. She sighed as she reached him and said, "Time to bring the pain, huh?" He laughed as she followed him to the lab. Before disappearing completely, Amanda poked her head around the corner of the doorway and looked at Erik, crossing her arms and her fingers. She was happy to be rewarded with a full-on toothy grin, and she proceeded to follow Hank downstairs with a smile of her own. It took a couple of minutes for everything to be set up. As she watched him, she asked, "So, exactly how bad is this going to be?" "You're a bit needle-phobic, aren't you?" "Just a bit." "Well, I promise that it won't be so bad. No shots, just some blood work." "_Super_." She watched him clean the area and tie off her arm. In an effort to diffuse her own nerves, she asked, "How did you get to be so…furry?" Hank smiled, but tried not to laugh as he put the needle in. Amanda clamped her top teeth down onto her bottom lip, holding her breath until the pinch-y feeling passed.

After a couple of seconds, Hank pointed across the room and said, "Look at the picture over there. It's from almost a year ago, taken just after we got to the mansion. That's what I used to look like." Amanda's eyes followed where he pointed, and she turned her head in confusion when she saw the photo. She knew Emma and Angel weren't there, and neither were Azazel or Riptide. She asked Hank to bring it closer, which he said he would after the tests were done. Four vials later, he gave her a piece of gauze to staunch the blood. He then walked over to the frame, took it off the wall, and brought it over. Everyone in the picture was smiling. Amanda smiled, too, at what she saw. Raven was in her favorite human form: a short dark blue dress, boots to her knees, a heavy coat, blue eyes, and wavy blond hair. Alex and Sean were just wearing long-sleeved t-shirts and jeans. Erik wore dark sunglasses, a black leather jacket, a dark purple turtleneck sweater, khaki pants, and black boots. She gingerly ran her fingertip along the image of his cheekbone and almost smiled, only to stop when she remembered she wasn't alone. She asked, "Where's you, Hank?" She was surprised when he pointed to the figure next to Erik.

Pre-fur Hank McCoy had short dark hair, ocean-blue eyes, glasses, a blue plaid shirt with a matching blue sweater, and dark brown pants with sneakers. He was slimly-built, and his shirt was tucked into his pants. Amanda glanced between the photo and the man beside her, saying, "What happened to make you this way?" Hank sighed as he pulled up a roller-chair and sat down. He said, "I was working on what I thought would be a cure for certain mutations. Raven was helping me. I used her blood as the catalyst. The idea was not to destroy the powers themselves, but to just normalize appearance. My original mutation gave me feet that looked like a chimpanzee's. One night, once I finally had a decent prototype for the formula, I decided to test it on myself. It actually worked at first, and for a couple of minutes, my feet went down to normal." He took a deep breath before continuing, "But things quickly changed. The formula didn't attack the mutant cells like I thought it would. It didn't solve the problem…" Amanda finished his sentence for him: "It made it worse. And it's because of using Raven's blood that your fur is blue." "Yes. I'm used to it now, though."

They were quiet for a minute, while Hank put a band-aide on her wound and moved to check the samples under the microscope. He stopped when he heard Amanda sniffle, and he asked her what was wrong. Her eyes were focused directly at the picture. Tiny tears began dripping onto the glass. When Hank asked again, she held up the frame and said in a cracking voice, "Charlie's _standing_." His shoulders slumped as he stared at the picture. Charles was wearing a v-neck sweater over a checked shirt, dark pants, and dress shoes. He was smiling broadly like everyone else, and as Amanda said, he was standing up. Once she'd composed herself, she asked, "How long after this was he paralyzed?" "A week." She sighed and said, "Even with all his psychic abilities, I don't think he could've predicted _that_." Hank nodded in agreement. But then, the alarm on his blood-testing machine went off, indicating the test he'd asked for was now complete.

Amanda was still looking at the picture when she heard Hank say, "Speaking of Raven…" "What is it? Is there something wrong?" "No, I just…I think you two have something new in common." "Like what?" He turned the microscope towards her. "Look." She pulled her hair back and did as he asked. "What am I supposed to be seeing?" He told her, "There's a certain enzyme in your blood that's very similar to Raven's. It's why her inner workings will still function like a teenager's, no matter how old she gets." "But what does that mean exactly? How can we both have this trait if we're not related by blood? I can't even morph like her." "At least, it means that when you're in your seventies, you'll still look like you're in your late forties or early fifties. I'm starting to wonder if all mutants have this trait." "Look younger than I actually am forever?" She made a fist and jerked her arm back saying, "Score!" Hank laughed, but a voice interrupted him. "Score? More like messed up."

Amanda looked to her right and spotted Alex, leaning against the lab doorway with a sarcastic smile on his face. She told him, "Hey, a girl has every right to be concerned about her appearance." "Yeah, and it drives us guys crazy." She giggled and playfully stuck her tongue out at him. A second later, he cleared his throat and said, "Look, I…I've actually been looking for you. Got a minute to talk?" "Um…sure. Need anything else from me, Hank?" "Nope. You're good." With that, she hoped down from the table and followed Alex out of the lab.

They walked into the library, greeting every student they passed on the way. Once there, Alex turned to face Amanda, his back flat against a bookcase. She did same and asked, "So, what's up? What did you need to talk to me about?" Alex rubbed the space between his eyes. This was bound to be a rough conversation, but it was all for the greater good in his mind. Bracing himself he said, "It's about…someone you've been spending a lot of time with lately." She didn't need to ask who he meant. This was three-for-three now, technically being four if one counted her brother's subtle earlier try. Amanda sighed and said, "You mean it's about Erik." "Yeah, um…look, what do you really know about him?" "I know the basics. I know what his gift is. I know he had a rough childhood and suffered great losses. And a couple of people told me he was in charge of…like, this big movement, or something." "Yeah, that's all true, but there's so much more to it." "Like what?" There was a brief pause before he said, "Amanda…Magneto's not the saint you think he is." "Whoa, hey, I know he's done some bad things, but-" "No, you don't _get_ it."

He apologized for interrupting, before taking a deep breath to regain his composure. He said, "He, Angel, Riptide, Azazel, Emma, and even Raven…they all believe their mutations make them superior to other humans." "Sounds like they have a lot of self-confidence." "It's not funny. You really don't get it." He went on to say, "They see normal humans as evil, and that eventually, all the human race will want to do is kill off mutants." "Why?" "Because we're different, and his group believes they're scared and jealous of our abilities." "Who says they're not?" "That's not the point, Amanda." "And what _is_ the point?" "It goes against everything your brother and the rest of us stand for." "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, Alex. I mean, this _is_ America." "It goes much deeper than that, though. They believe humans aren't worthy to even breathe the same air as us. Magneto…he wants to kill them all off, before they can think of getting to us." At the look on her face, he said, "He's bad news, okay? I really don't think you should get too close to him." "Well, I appreciate your concern, but…I'm really not as close to him as some might think." She moved to leave, but Alex put his hand on her shoulder to stop her and said, "But you want to be. I _know_ you do."

Her face took on a more steely expression as she said, 'You don't know _anything_." By now, Alex's voice was starting to go up in pitch as he grew angrier. "Of course, I do! _Everyone_ does! Everyone sees how you're constantly making goo-goo eyes at him!" At that, Amanda left the bookcase and stood directly in front of the blond boy. "Cool you jets, dude! Who I talk to is none of your business! You act like you're jealous or something!" Alex's face turned red. "Jealous?! Why on Earth would I be jealous of _him_?! He's not worth—wait, where are you going?" Amanda had begun to stomp off, completely sick of her friend's attitude. He tried to follow her, grabbing her shoulder and telling her to wait, but she shrugged him off. When she was just about to cross the threshold to leave, he shouted, "He was there that day!" Amanda froze and turned on her heel, but didn't go back towards him. "What day?"

Alex took a few small steps forward, saying, "He was there that day…on the beach in Cuba…when your brother lost his legs!" When she didn't react, he continued, "I bet her he never told you the truth that it was _his_ fault! And it _was_! It was _totally_ all his fault! _Magneto's_ the reason Charles can't walk anymore! _He's_ the reason that bullet went into his spine!" Tears immediately welled up in Amanda's eyes, and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. She emotionally squeaked out, "He shot my brother? He-He shot…He shot my…oh, poor Charlie." Before Alex could say anything else, she ran from the room, missing the pleased look on the blond boy's face once she was gone.

Amanda wasn't looking where she was going, when she accidentally rammed right into the last person she wanted to see at that moment: Erik. Her eyes narrowed in anger. "You!" He smiled and said sarcastically, "Well, hello to you, too. How'd everything go with Hank?" "Fine, and you know what else? He showed me a rather lovely little picture of Charlie _standing_ _up_." Erik flinched. He hated thinking about what happened that day in Cuba. He tried to reach for Amanda's shoulder to calm her down, but she surprised him by roughly pushing him away. "How _dare_ you touch me? How do you even have the nerve to come back to this mansion in the first place, after what you did?" "What I did? A-Amanda, what are you-?" "Oh, don't play innocent with me! I've never felt so betrayed in my life! How could you think I wouldn't find out?!"

Erik hoped she wasn't talking about what he thought she was. He asked, "How have I betrayed you?" She drew herself up to her full height and shouted, "You took my brother's legs away, you big jerk! You're the reason Charlie is paralyzed for the rest of his life, and you didn't think that was something worth mentioning to me?!" Erik suddenly felt something swell in his chest that he hadn't truly felt for an extremely long time: guilt. He swallowed back a groan, blinking away the warm tears that were burning the insides of his eyelids. "You just don't understand-" "I understand _perfectly_! No, stop!"

He'd been trying to put his hands on her shoulders, but she once again spun out of his grasp. Then, she did something nobody would've though her capable of. Amanda reached back as far as she could…and slapped him across the face, shouting afterwards, "Get away from me, Erik! _Get_ away, and _stay_ away!" She then pivoted on her heel and started running away again, ignoring his pleas of, "Amanda, wait! Come back!" She ran to the one place in the mansion she could think clearly, besides her bedroom: Charles's study. She slammed the door shut and threw herself on a settee, where she proceeded to curl into a fetal position and bawl her eyes out. All her anger, sadness, and disbelief came out in her tears.

Amanda didn't know how much time had passed, when she heard the study door open. She'd been starting to fall asleep, and she still wasn't really in a good mood. She mumbled into a pillow, "I said keep away, Erik!" However, a warm familiar voice in her mind made her head snap up. "It's me, Mandy-lou." She managed a weak, watery smile when she saw Charles. He smiled back as he slid his fingers away from his temple, making a gesture that meant "come here". Still too emotional to give any pretense of dignity, Amanda took a couple of wobbly steps towards him, before collapsing to her knees next to his wheelchair. Charles didn't seem phased in the least. In fact, he was actually quite calm as she took his left hand in both of hers, giving kisses to his knuckles and saying in a shaky voice, "Oh, Charlie, I'm so sorry." His opposite hand slid around her, coming to rest between her shoulder-blades as he moved it in comforting circles. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head, leaning his cheek over the spot and whispering soothing phrases into her ears.

When it seemed like her shaking was finally slowing down, Charles said, "I heard about what happened. Raven came banging on my door, shouting to me that something was going on downstairs, but I already knew. Even without my telepathy, I could still hear your shouting." Amanda sniffled and asked, "I wasn't that embarrassing, was I?" "On the contrary, your reaction was quite understandable. I take part of the blame on myself for not telling you sooner. But you must understand, little sister…it wasn't Erik's intentional fault." "What do you mean by 'intentional fault'?" "I'll explain. We were being helped in our journey that short while by a CIA agent named Moira McTaggert. On that beach, both the American and Soviet ship fleets were ready to fire all their weapons, in an attempt to completely end the mutant race. Erik had just finished killing Sebastian Shaw, and he was still running on the fumes of his anger. He used his gift to turn the warheads around, making them face the boats and intending to use them as his own death missiles. I argued with him over it, and that argument briefly became physical. As we stood up, I made one last attempt to stop him. Moira saw what was going on, and she tried to protect me by firing off her gun. Erik didn't know I was still that close behind him, and when he deflected the bullet to protect himself, it hit me instead. That's the reason why I'm like this."

Amanda gladly accepted the handkerchief Charles offered, the magnitude of what she'd learned weighing down on her. Her face retained a look of disbelief as she kept one hand clamped over her mouth. She listened in silence as her brother continued, "You should've seen the look on Erik's face as he watched me fall to the sand. I'll never forget that as long as I live. It wasn't his intention to hurt me like that by any stretch. I'm sure he still blames himself for it, however much I might try to convince him otherwise. _You_, however, _mustn't_ do that. I'm incredibly touched by your feeling of a need to protect me, and your loving heart does you credit. Please, let it do so now." She nodded and said, "I'm just so upset. I mean…t-the thought of someone hurting you…I can't bear it." He kissed her hand and whispered softly, "I know." Charles then wheeled himself over to the liquor cabinet, taking out two small glasses and a bottle of blackberry brandy. She told him that she wasn't usually a heavy drinker, to which he replied, "One glass won't kill you. You need to relax. Simply consider this…a bonding moment, of sorts." She giggled as he poured the brandy, before they tapped their glasses together in a silent toast.

Amanda pulled up a chair next to her brother as she sipped her drink. She'd had wine before, and she occasionally enjoyed a good martini, but blackberry brandy was a new experience. She found that she liked the rich, sweet taste. As Charles had told her, the feeling of drinking of it was indeed quite relaxing. Brandy was traditionally thought of as an English drink, which made her think, "Maybe, I like it so much because I'm half-British." The soft under-breath chuckle told her she'd been projecting loud enough for him to hear. Desperate to change the subject, she said, "Tell me about Dad. What was he like?" Charles took a sip from his glass and replied, "He was…a very warm person, and also very studious as well. He could be stern when needed, and he was always ready to answer any questions you had. He enjoyed sharing his wealth, both in finances and intellect. He was kind, and he enjoyed a good joke." "Sounds like the apple didn't fall too far from the tree." Charles ran his fingers through his hair, blushing slightly at her compliment. Amanda then said, "You know, when Mom saw your picture in the paper that day, she said you looked a lot like him." "Yes, but he had hazel eyes, though."

Another couple of sips of the brandy, and Charles asked, "So…who exactly told you about the accident?" "Alex." He sighed and shook his head with a tiny half-smile. "That boy never could keep his mouth shut. He always lets his attitude get the better of him. It's actually something he and Erik have in common, that same dominant headstrong personality." Though Amanda was finished with her own glass by now, Charles was already considering having a couple more. He told her, "He did lie to you about one thing…Alex does fancy you." "But I'm too old for him. He's not even a legal adult yet." "I think he understands that deep down, but…I suppose he felt that by giving you this information, and also protecting me in the process, he's made sure you'll never forget him." "I won't forget Alex, just as I won't forget anyone else I've met here, but my—what is it, Charlie?"

She'd seen her brother lean his head against his right palm, and his eyes grew distant as if he were thinking about or looking for someone. He flicked his eyes back at her and asked, "But your…what?" "Nothing. Nothing at all." When she once again asked about his distant expression, he simply smiled and shook his head. He then said, "Look, why don't you go relax by the pool? You haven't tried it out yet. You might enjoy a nice swim." Seeing the hesitance on her face, he told her, "Go have fun. You'll love it, I promise."

Amanda kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Charlie." As he watched her leave, Charles fell into deep thought. He was no fool. He'd hear what she said earlier, shouting about how she felt betrayed. You can't feel betrayed by someone, unless you have feelings for that person. How deep these supposed feelings went, he had no idea yet. He didn't want to pry, though. If Amanda didn't want to discuss the issue, he wouldn't use his gift to force her. Still, he knew he'd have to keep his eye on things, like he did for everything else in his home.

_**AN: So, Alex is being a huge butthead, all because a guy he hates is cozying up to a girl he likes. Gosh...& men call us the complicated ones (lol). Good thing Charles was there to be his usual comforting self. Suggesting that Amanda go to the mansion's indoor pool to calm down was very sweet. Although...he was being kind of mysterious and insistent about it. Sounds like big brother is up to something. Hmmm...well, I guess you'll find out what that was in the next chapter.**_


	7. Discoveries

_**"Just when I thought I had it figured, that life's a game you cannot win, he comes in and changes all the rules."- from the deleted song "I Can't Believe My Heart" (sung by Megara in Disney's "Hercules").**_

_**AN: Here, Amanda & Erik reconcile after their little spat, and she learns the entirety of the metal-bender's tragic past. I thought the song snippet I used above represented perfectly how she felt about Erik in the beginning of their relationship.**_

Amanda jogged up the stairs to her bedroom, quickly throwing a t-shirt and shorts over her bathing suit: a green-and-white Hawaiian-print one-piece. She was glad no one paid attention to her, in mood to answer any questions regarding her outburst. One she actually got to the pool, however, her hopes of some tranquil solitude were quickly dashed. She saw a duffle bag next to one of the lounge chairs, open with a miniature radio sitting next to it. She ignored the pretty music coming from it as fear slowly crept into her body, a fear that was due to the fact that she didn't know whose bag that was. Suddenly, she heard a noise coming from the nearby bathroom area. She quickly ducked behind some towel shelves that were full of supplies. Her jaw nearly hit the floor at the irony, when she saw who walked out.

Erik had on a plain light grey t-shirt and black-and-red board-shorts. The idea of "great minds think alike" briefly crossed her brain, but she remembered it wasn't actually her idea to come here. She was grateful for her brother's brilliant mind. Why? Well, that was because Erik was in the process of kicking off his sandals and…oh gosh…pulling off his shirt. All her inner workings melted to the core of the earth at seeing so much of the metal-bender's bare skin. She swallowed hard, making a slightly-audible gulping noise. This noise became a soft, squeaky sigh upon seeing how his back muscles rippled as he dove into the pool. His dive was a bit too strong, though, because the water he'd sent all over the floor even splashed Amanda where she hid. Her loud squeal of surprise gave her away, and Erik popped up out of the water at hearing the sound. Knowing her cover was blown, Amanda crept out from behind the shelves, and she was greeted by a rather surprised, "What are _you_ doing here?"

She was immensely happy that neither of her parents was alive to see how she looked at that precise moment. Her eyes were big, the typical "deer-in-the-headlights" look, and her cheeks were as red as if she'd had a sun-burn. Erik, trying to patient as he waited for her to talk, put his fists on his hips. Amanda thought, "Okay, you're not helping here, dude." In fact, "helping" was the absolutely last way someone would describe this situation.

His rusty hair was flattened down from the water, and droplets of said water trickled down over what her secret inner cavewoman considered all the right places. The man was all lithe, lean muscle, reminding her a bit of a racehorse's build. Oh my…that particular comparison was taking her mind to a very inappropriate place, one definitely not suitable for the proper lady many in outside society thought she should be. Clearing her throat, she steeled her expression and said, "I've had an anxious couple of hours, so I thought I'd go for a swim." "Hmm…", and he thoughtfully touched his chin before continuing, "And you're not at all bothered by the fact that I'm here, too?" "No", a shadowed corner of her mind purred, "Not at all." She shook it off, saying, "I won't be bothered by it, if you promise to behave." Erik smiled, a full-on sharky grin that had her blushing big time. He then shook his head and said, "Ah, yes. I'll have to be very careful to not be perceived as acting like a…what was the phrase you used…oh—", and he snapped his fingers before finishing, "Big jerk."

Slowly, she walked toward the pool's edge and sat down, her feet and lower legs dangling in the water. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that." Pretending to be confused, Erik cupped his left hand behind his ear and said, "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you right." Amanda giggled. "I said I was _sorry_. Charlie found me crying in his study, and he explained everything. I'm still upset about it, but…I shouldn't have blown up at you like that. I apologize. Forgive me?" Suddenly getting a look of mischief in his eyes, Erik said, "I don't know if I should. I mean…what you said was…very _hurtful_." He started walking slowly towards her, continuing, "I think I should…PUNISH YOU!" He suddenly reached out and began tickling the bottoms of her feet, until she was nearly hysterical with laughter. Laughing maniacally, he asked, "Had enough? Had enough yet, princess?" "Yes! Yes, I've had enough, okay?! Just-just stop!" Erik finally relented and stood back to admire his work. Amanda was breathing heavily, trying not to laugh at the same time. She held up two fingers and made a circling motion with them, saying, "I don't want to get the rest of my clothes wet." Still laughing under his breath, he obediently turned around.

Amanda quickly took off her shorts and t-shirt, sliding gently into the pool. She tried to not make any noise, since she was now plotting her revenge against Erik. Readying her hands, she asked sneakily, "You know what?" Still with his back to her, he replied, "What?" "This…is…PAYBACK!" Using all her strength, she pushed a huge splash of water at him. His hands flew up in shock, and he started coughing. Before he could turn around, she dove under the water and immediately swam for the deep end. She was almost there, when she suddenly felt Erik's hand clamp down on her ankle, and she screamed under the water. Glancing over her shoulder, Amanda barely had enough time to see his "got you" smirk, before popping to the surface and making sputtering coughs.

Once that calmed down, she said, "That wasn't nice." "Neither were you." "I told you it was payback." "Yes, it was. And now, you've been paid back twice over." They were both laughing, until Amanda realized that Erik was slowly moving closer to her. His voice dropped a couple of levels in pitch as he said, "I warned you that I was evil." She gulped hard and replied, "Well, that depends on how one defines evil." "How do _you_ define it, Miss Xavier?" "I…I-I can't really think of a definition right this second, but-" "But what?" Now, he was less than an arm's length away from her. His conscience was screaming for him to stop this stupidity, and that he'd only get himself hurt again, but he surprised himself by completely ignoring it. His body was acting of its own accord now. He said, "I asked you a question earlier, but you never gave me a proper answer." "And what question was that?" Amanda started shaking as he put his arms on either side of her, thus keeping her from going anywhere. She nervously met his gaze, finding his face split in an absolutely wicked smile. "So now, I'll ask again", and he paused before saying, "Who's attractive?" "I'm sure you, with that ego of yours, can come up with some good theories." "Oh, no doubt, but I'd much rather hear _yours_."

Amanda gulped a second time and said, "I think you're starting to give Charlie a run for his money, if you weren't truly standing outside the game room as long as I think you were." When he smiled again, she continued, "Who told you I was out there, anyway?" "You seriously have to ask?" Emma. It had to be her. She was the only one who knew where the younger woman was going, and the thought that she'd purposely sent Erik there made Amanda roll her eyes. She should've been surprised, but she wasn't. She then froze when Erik's hands moved to her upper arms, slowly and gently messaging their way up. "What are you doing?" He sighed and said, "I wanted to thank you." "For what?" "For a lot of things, which I'm not ready to reveal yet. Is that fair enough?" "I suppose so…for now." She was rewarded with yet another smile and a soft chuckle. She felt his right thumb move against her skin…affectionately, maybe? Her voice grew softer as she asked, "Erik, seriously…what are you doing?"

The look in his eyes seemed to change, almost glazing over. Amanda gasped sharply when he suddenly pulled her in close, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug, an embrace she returned once the initial shock of the moment had faded. She relished the warm comfort settling against Erik brought her, like she was supposed to be there. This happened to be the first full-on skin-to-skin contact they'd ever had, a fact which sent both her heart and her hormones into overdrive. Her feet brushed his under the water as they tried to stay afloat, and she fought the reflex to lift them and curl them around his calves. Although, and she couldn't be entirely sure about this, but she thought she sensed a shiver go through him when the big toe of her left foot brushed the inside of his ankle. She felt his left hand stray further upwards, cupping the back of her neck and cradling her head. She did the same, gently messaging the back of his neck. He squeezed her tighter, and she squeezed him right back. It seemed almost as if he was holding on to her for dear life. The message was clear to Amanda, though no words were yet being exchanged: Erik needed her. She didn't know why, but she just knew he did. And darn it all…she needed him, too. She sent a pulse of calmness to him, inwardly smiling when she felt his muscles relax a bit. She whispered his name in a wistful tone, and she heard him sigh.

As Erik pulled away, he stared hard into Amanda's eyes, lifting his right hand and brushing the back of it along her jaw. She surprised herself by leaning into his touch, closing her eyes and smiling at how good it felt. The tip of his left thumb rubbed the tiny space between her chin and bottom lip, pulling down on the skin slightly as if to test what further action would feel like. Her eyes slowly opened as he did this, her breath hitching in her throat when she realized how close he now was. His right hand dropped down to her hip, lingering right before the start of its curve. He seemed to be studying her, in a way, imaging something she could only guess at.

She squealed softly when his thumbnail caught on her lip, and judging by the pleased twinkle in his eyes, she knew it must've made her blush. Her fingers, unbidden, slid up the back of his neck and threaded into his hair. "He must use an expensive shampoo. His hair is so soft", she thought. Erik's eyes briefly snapped closed at her touch, a barely-audible groan escaping him. "What? Did I hurt you?" "No." A sudden movement beneath the water made her eyes widen in understanding. The somewhat sheepish expression that came over his face was all kinds of adorable. She giggled when he ran his left index knuckled along the front of her neck, all the way up to the tip of her chin.

The look now in his eyes was equal parts heat and sweet. He was about to say something, when a knock suddenly sounded on the pool area door. Still not letting go of Erik, she looked over his shoulder and nervously asked who it was. Raven's voice came through, saying, "It's me. Charles wanted to know how you were doing, and he said he had something important to tell you." Amanda was truly glad there was no window on the door. She really didn't want to face any awkwardness or teasing for this. She called back, "I'm great, actually. I'll be out in a minute, okay?" "Alright." She breathed a sigh of relief at hearing her sister's footsteps fading away. She turned back to Erik and said, "Looks like I have to go." "Too bad." Reluctantly letting go of him, she swam back to the shallow side of the pool and climbed out. She quickly dried off with a towel from a nearby shelf, putting her clothes back on over her bathing suit. Just before she left, she looked over her shoulder. A tiny smile and sigh were followed with, "See you later, Erik." He simple smiled back.

Amanda felt a little awkward, standing in front of her siblings while still being slightly wet. "So, how did your little swim go?" The ripple she then felt in the air made realization come over her. Charles had known Erik was already at the pool when he told her to go there. When he'd become distant in his study, he'd actually been searching for his friend, so he could know where to send his sister. She wanted to call him out for it, but a desire to keep everything secret for now helped her retain her composure. She said, "It was fine, and as you said, very relaxing. I had a great time." The tiny smirk she made subtly told Charles that she wasn't rising to his bait. He got the message, giving a quick simple nod.

She then asked what he needed to speak with her about. Charles said, "Do you remember earlier today, when Rosie ran outside and said I had a phone call." "Yes." "Well, one of my former professors at Oxford has asked me to fly back to England and speak at one of his seminars. The only problem is that…it's the day after I'm scheduled to make an appearance at a charity ball. I can't be in two places at once, and I'd be too tired to fly so soon after the party. I was wondering if…you'd like to go to the ball in my place." "You really want me to represent you?" "It's not just about me, Mandy-lou. In a way, though no one there will know about it, you'll also be representing the school. You'll need to make a good impression. These people are potential investors, and we made need their support in the future." "When is it?" He told her, "It's on Saturday. That gives you a decent amount of time to prepare."

After a minute of consideration, Amanda agreed to go. She said, "I can't wait. It sounds fun." Raven gave a squeal of excitement, which earned a confused look. The morphing girl blushed. "Sorry. Had a bit of a girly moment there." They both giggled. Raven then said, "I guess this means I get to take you out shopping. Have some sisterly bonding." "Uh…not that I don't love the idea, but don't you think you might be a bit…conspicuous?" "I know, I know. I hate having to hide who I really am, but I'll take one for the team on this…just for you." Amanda dramatically rushed over and hugged her, saying, "Oh, sister dear, I love you so much." They walked away arm-in-arm, laughing.

Two more days went by, and Amanda loved all the shopping she got to do with her sister. Charles had given them each their own credit card for the occasion, but despite the extreme freedom, she promised him to not go too crazy. She knew the party called for formal evening wear, so that helped narrow down her choices. She eventually picked a gold sleeveless gown with semi-thick straps, which dipped down just low enough to tastefully show off her chest. It was covered in miniature silver and white crystals, seeming to glitter as it moved in the light. She also found a sapphires-and-diamonds necklace with matching earrings. The two girls were laughing and singing along to every song on Raven's car radio as they drove home.

Amanda immediately ran up to her room to put her stuff away. But when she got back downstairs, she noticed that someone was missing, someone she hadn't even seen earlier that morning. She found her brother in his study and asked, "Where's Erik?" Charles looked up from the book he'd been reading, replying, "He's been in his room all day. I think his cough got worse overnight. I haven't seen him once today." "Wow. Must be bad to take _him_ down." "I know what you mean. I'm actually staring to get worried."

After taking a minute to think, Amanda said, "I'm nervous about going up to check on him. What should I do?" "Well, this might be a good time to test your abilities. See if you can tap into his feelings, and you'll be able to see how sick he really is." She nodded and closed her eyes, focusing hard. She instantly felt her body temperature skyrocket, and all her energy seemed to be immediately drained. With each breath, it felt like razor blades were stabbing into her ribs. She opened her eyes again and said, "He has a really high fever, and he's exhausted. His chest hurts from all the coughing, too, and I sensed a lot of congestion there." Charles sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, saying, "He must've caught this cold from being in that rain several days ago. It certainly doesn't help that the man chain-smokes like mad." "Yeah, I know. I constantly smell it on his clothes." When he raised an eyebrow, she quickly clarified what she meant: "I honestly think it follows him everywhere, like he's encased in some kind of misty cocoon." Charles laughed. "A good comparison, little sister. However, that still leaves us with what to do. Erik's not the type to visit the doctor, unless he's either dying or dragged there. I'm afraid we'll have to do our best on our own." There was a brief pause before Amanda said, "I'll bring some soup and hot tea up to his room."

Twenty minutes later, she was doing exactly that. She passed Sean in the stairs as she went up, willingly enduring his good-natured teases of "Hey, mother hen". It was a bit of a challenge to carry the tray which held Erik's bowl of soup, along with a special treat. While Amanda understood that teas with licorice were better for a sore throat, she knew Irish Breakfast was Erik's favorite. She hoped its bold scent and flavor would give him the energy to get through his illness. The door was cracked open a bit when she got there, prompting a sigh of relief. She nudged it open further with her foot, taking note of how dark the room was. The curtains were drawn, and Erik seemed to be buried under his bedcovers. Under other circumstances, Amanda would've giggled at not being able to see him, but now wasn't the time.

Once again using her foot, she managed to move an ottoman into place next to the bed, setting the tray down on it. As she was doing that, a loud snore suddenly pierced the silence of the room. Amanda squealed in surprise, quickly covering her mouth to stifle the sound. Luckily, it didn't wake Erik up. In fact, he moved in a way that pushed the blanket down from his head, and his left arm fell over the side of the bed. This drew her attention to his face and how it looked, for lack of a better word, peaceful. She really should've left at that point, but her instincts told her not to. Her hand seemed to have a mind of its own as she reached out, gingerly tracing her fingertips along his cheekbones and jaw, ghosting them over his lips. She briefly wondered, not for the first time, what said lips would feel like pressed against her own, but she quickly shook that idea out of her mind.

When she moved on to his hair, she marveled at the red highlights in it looked like rusty gold rings on her fingers. She pushed back several stray locks, pausing when she touched his forehead. He was burning up! Nervous, she immediately went to his bathroom, grabbing a washcloth and soaking it in the coldest water the sink could produce. Just as quickly, she rung it out and jogged back to his Erik's bedside. Amanda crouched to her knees as she began dabbing at his face. He shifted a couple of times in his sleep, making her pause and think about where to hide if he woke up. She folded the washcloth into a strip, gently laying it across his forehead. His heavy, sleep-laden exhales tickled her skin, and she actually had to bite down on her bottom lip to keep from giggling. She softly whispered "Rest easy" and was about to get up to leave, when Erik's dangling left arm drew her attention.

Amanda had suddenly noticed a black mark on the skin of his inner forearm, one that she'd never bothered to take serious notice of before. She grabbed his arm and started lifting it back onto the bed, curiosity getting the better of her as she slowly turned it over. However, what she saw nearly made her scream in fear. That was no mere tattoo. There were six numbers branded into skin. They could only mean one thing: Erik was a survivor of the Holocaust. Numb with shock, she couldn't help it as her hand drifted to the branding. The fingertips of her right hand just barely grazed it. The touch itself may have been small, but its effect was instant…and enormous.

A flurry of images ran through Amanda's mind, some good, but mostly tragic ones. She 'saw' an image of a Hanukah party, and another one of an early-teens Erik, packing suitcases with an older woman who she assumed to be his mother. She 'watched' as they arrived at a basement apartment and then 'saw' their faces become panicked as fists could be heard pounding on the other side of the door. She 'watched' them both be carted off into a bus-like vehicle, screaming and crying all the way. She 'watched' them being led in a herd, along with what seemed like hundreds of other people, along an extremely muddy path on a rainy day. She saw the world through Erik's eyes, 'catching' a sideways 'glimpse' of a man digging in the mud, a branding on his arm as well. Next came a horrifying scene: a group of SS soldiers tore through the crowd and grabbed Erik's mother.

Amanda was frozen, completely unable to move as she events 'played out'. She 'watched' poor Erik scream and reach out to his mom, crying for her. This was the moment his then-dormant gift was revealed. As his hands were stretched out, the gate in front of him began to bow and bend, until it finally twisted apart. Another group of soldiers watched this happen, and they rushed in on him. The next few images happened indoors.

A man with a mustache, thin facial features, wearing glasses and a suit sat at a desk across from Erik. They were speaking German. It must've had something to do with the boy's abilities, since Amanda thought some of the words resembled "Hitler", "power", and "genetics". He then held up a small silver coin, embossed with an eagle and a swastika, and he seemed to be encouraging Erik to lift it from the desk. It was taking too long for the man's patience, so he thought a different type of encouragement was needed. He snapped his fingers, and two Nazi officers brought in Erik's mother. They had a brief happy reunion before everything went downhill.

The man again asked Erik to move the coin, threatening to shoot his mother if he didn't. When the act still remained frustratingly undone, the man followed through on his threat, shooting the woman right in front of her son. Poor Erik was inconsolable. Instead of moving the coin, he ripped the whole room apart as he roared out his grief. The older man was smiling and laughing maniacally. He stood up once the chaos died down, and he put his arm around the sobbing fourteen-year-old boy's shoulders. That was the moment Amanda finally realized who this man must be: Sebastian Shaw. This was the reason an adult Erik was so determined to kill him. To be honest, after seeing all this, she really couldn't blame him. The worst, however, was still yet to come. The next few images came in quick, successive flashed, and every single one of them was horrifying.

Erik was poked, prodded, goaded, bullied, starved, trained, abused, and had all other manner of experiments performed on him. The final memory she 'saw' happened when he was about her age, the time when he at last broke out of the concentration camp. Amanda then yanked back her hand. She stumbled, falling onto her rear end and crawling backwards, gasping for breath with her mouth widened in terror. Tears were pouring down her face as she stared hard at the very grown-up, sleeping Erik. Once again, she thought of hos utterly peaceful he looked at this moment. And after all the things he'd endured…all she had the strength to say was an out-of-breath "_What_ did they _do_ to you?"

_**AN: I've been meaning to mention that in my mind, Amanda looks like the actress Sarah Bolger (Princess Mary in "The Tudors"), but w/ green eyes & a patch of freckles over the bridge of her nose. Full credit to author Sheherazade's Fable for giving me this idea. I've tried to make the character's personalities match those of the actors who play them as closely as I can, & I hope I've done that. The next chapter will pick up immediately after this moment, dealing w/ the fallout from Amanda's learning of such terrible information.**_


	8. Aftermath

_**AN: Picking up from the end of Ch.7, Amanda has just learned about Erik's extremely abusive childhood.**** This chapter shows the consequences from that.**_

Amanda felt her stomach flip inside her, and it wasn't the sweet butterfly-like way it usually did whenever she thought about Erik. Everything she saw, every memory he'd unknowingly shared with her through his emotions were just…for lack of a better word, disgusting. Nobody deserved to go through that. She sent up a quick prayer for thanks for all the soldiers who'd helped liberate the camps, sparing other children even more carnage. She could still hear Erik's agonized screams in her head, and she felt the stabs of pain he endured from all the experiments. Suddenly, her stomach lurched again, and she felt the bittersweet taste of bile splash up into her throat. All those images—honestly sometimes, her gift felt more like a curse than a blessing—they were just too much. Her voice came out in a soft, fast whisper: "I think I'm going to be sick." The bathroom behind her wasn't an option, since she knew that she'd make too much noise. So, with all the strength she could drag up, Amanda scrambled to her feet and bolted back to her own room. Her hand was clamped tightly over her mouth as her feet crossed the bathroom threshold. She then collapsed to her knees by the toilet and became violently ill.

During that, Amanda was also crying heavily. "Oh great", she thought, "Just when I thought I couldn't embarrass myself here any further." When the wave of nausea passed, she closed her eyes and leaned against the toilet bowl, mentally crying out, "Charlie! Charlie, help me, please!" From down in his study, Charles heard the sob in his mind, the shock and force of it nearly enough to knock him out of his wheelchair. He pressed two fingers to his temple, nervous as he focused on finding his sister. Using his gift, he 'called out', "Mandy-lou? Mandy-lou, are you alri-" His question was interrupted by the sound of more vomiting. He waited for it to pass before 'asking' again. The 'response' he got was, "Oh, Charlie, it was awful. Pain…so much _pain_. I'll-I'll explain it better once this is over, and I get downstairs." He sent back an agreement before calling in Raven and Hank. "I need you both to go upstairs to Amanda's room. I don't know why yet, but she'd very sick. She's probably weak, too, so she might need you to carry her, Hank." "No problem, professor." Raven asked if she was going to be okay. "Again, I don't quite know yet, but-" Again, he was interrupted by third round of gagging noises. Charles groaned in sympathy, watching as his friends ran for the staircase.

Amanda didn't know how much time she'd spent on her bathroom floor. She was still breathing heavily, and her vision was beginning to blur. She barely registered the sounds of two pairs of feet, coming towards her room. She briefly looked up and saw two blue blobs kneel down on either side of her, obviously Hank and her sister, but she could hardly understand anything they were saying. Then, she suddenly felt a fourth—honestly, how much was really in her stomach—urge to throw up. As she once again tilted her head over the toilet, she felt fingers graze the back of her neck. Raven must've been holding her hair back. Thankfully, it was just dry heaves this time, meaning the illness was finally over. She struggled to her feet, and she rinsed her mouth out in the sink. She stumbled past her friends, flashing a weak, but thankful smile at them.

However, just as she walked past the doorway to her bedroom, she became very dizzy and nearly passed out. Hank immediately rushed to her aide and picked her up, carrying her to her bed. Her voice was weak as she said, "No, no, I have to see my brother. I have to get to my brother and tell him-" Charles's voice then sounded in her mind: "You're not going anywhere. You're too drained to even stand. I'll take the emergency lift and come up to see you." Amanda didn't have the strength to protest. All she could do was to wait for him to get there.

When he finally did arrive, Charles's face was almost as pale as hers. In the three weeks he'd known her, he'd never seen his little sister look so helpless and, dare he say…traumatized? What on Earth had she seen or felt to make herself so sick? "Amanda, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost or something." "I have seen a ghost, but not one of mine." She stared hard into his eyes, hoping to get her point across. Once Hank and Raven were sure she was okay, they left. Amanda looked down at her left forearm and grabbed it in sympathy, something Charles didn't fail to notice. He understood what had happened without using asking point-blank, or even using his telepathy. She asked, "How can one man endure so much?" "I don't know. I've heard so many reports over the years, telling of all the travesties committed in the Nazi camps. Real monsters walked the earth back then, Mandy-lou." He paused briefly before saying, "I'll have someone bring you up some ginger ae. Calm your mind, rest for a bit, and you should feel better in no time." She nodded, reaching out and squeezing his hand in thanks. Just before he left, she asked Charles to also have someone bring a bottle of cough syrup to Erik's room.

Two bottles of ginger ale, and one nightmare-filled two-and-a-half hour nap later, Amana wandered out of her room. Her stomach had settled, and she felt physically better overall, but her mind was still in a daze. The images she saw from touching the brand on Erik's arm still haunted her. It was probably a good thing she saw them, though. They'd help her understand him better, and know more of how to deal with him whenever he got into one of his more surly moods. She looked down the hall towards his room, and she noticed the tray from earlier sitting on the floor, just outside the doorway. Only now, both the bowl and the mug were empty.

As she picked the tray up, Amanda noticed that a folded piece of paper had been hidden under the bowl. She set the tray down on a small table in the hallway and unfolded the paper. She smiled when she saw the message written on it: "To my nurse." Below that was a drawing of a winking smiley-face. She shifted her gaze back to his bedroom door, once again tapping into his feelings. She was thankful to no longer be sensing the extreme warmth, meaning that his fever had broken. The door was open a crack, so she peeked inside, taking note of the medicine bottle on his bedside table. She also noticed that Erik was no longer in bed, quickly discovering the reason why when she heard his shower kick on. Despite the earlier chaos, she blushed at the idea. Ducking back out, she noticed that a pen was also sitting on the tray. On the other side of the paper, she quickly scribbled down "It's no trouble at all", running to leave it on his bed before taking off downstairs with the tray.

Once she got back downstairs, the first person she saw was Alex. She gave him a tiny sideways smile as she headed over to the refrigerator to get a soda, this time a Coke. The caffeine in it would help her budding headache, and the syrup would temper down any lingering upset-ness in her stomach. Several of the students she'd passed on the way there asked if she was alright. "Yeah, I'm fine now. It was just a little hiccup with my gift, that's all. Thanks for asking, though." She welcomed a hug from one student in particular, the platinum-haired girl Erik had given the soccer ball back to. Her name was Ororo Munroe. The child proudly declared that she'd be one of the X-Men when she grew up. Amanda giggled and said, "Are you? Well…you'll have to think of a codename first." "Already got one. I'll be Storm." "Sounds pretty. Would you like to show me why?" The girl's eyes turned completely white, and her hair started blowing around. A tiny cloud appeared above her head, growing a big and briefly taking the shape of a bunny, before she reopened her eyes and made it stop. It reminded Amanda of Riptide's gift. She happily clapped her approval, giving the child another hug before watching her skip away.

Seconds later, she spotted Alex again as he joined her in the kitchen. She noticed his anxiety and asked him what was wrong. "I heard you were sick. What did Magneto do to you?" "Seriously? Come on. Let it go, Alex. Charlie told me it was an accident." "I don't care. He should've paid more attention to his surroundings, but he didn't. He didn't care _then_, and he _still_ doesn't _now_. He doesn't care about anyone but himself!" Amanda snapped her head in his direction and said, "_Don't_ yell at me." Alex did lower his voice, but his tone remained the same. "And _you_…how could you bring him soup? How could you be nice to him, _period_, after all he's done?" "He has _a_ _cold_, man…a _bad_ one. It's called _compassion_. You should try it sometime." She started walking out of the kitchen, the blond boy following close behind. "You ever think that maybe, he doesn't _deserve_ compassion? I mean…look, you know what kind of person he is." Amanda froze in place. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Raven, Hank, and Sean on the staircase. Charles was watching them from the entrance to his study. But truthfully, she didn't care that they now had an audience. She was too ticked off for that.

Slowly turning around to face him, she said, "So I should, what, let him suffer? How can you say that? He probably deserves more compassion than most people in this house, except for Charlie. You don't know even half of what he's gone through." Alex scoffed at her, asking, "And you do?" "Yes, I do. I've seen it. Once I touched him, I knew everything." The boy chuckled sarcastically. "I didn't realize you two were that close." "Go to hell!" The jaws of everyone in the near vicinity dropped, including Alex's. Amanda Xavier was normally Miss Cool, Calm, and Collected. She'd have to have an extremely good reason to lose her temper like that. "How can you defend him? Why do you care so much?" "I have my reasons." She snapped for a second time when the boy tried to interrupt her, shouting, "He's a _Holocaust_ survivor, you moron!" The whole area became deathly silent. Everyone knew what that word meant, many of the students having relatives who'd served in Germany during the war. They'd probably heard many stories about what went on in the concentration camps.

Amanda's mind instantly cleared, and she understood why when she looked over Alex's shoulder. Charles kept a blank expression, simply nodding his head. Her eyes suddenly grew wide, realizing what she'd just revealed to everyone. She prayed he couldn't hear her from his room. She didn't know how he'd react, whether he'd be angry or not. Looking up, she was horrified to see a figure in a white shirt and tan dress pants, leaning over the third-floor banister and staring down at her. She moved her hand away from her still-wide mouth, saying softly, "I need some air." She rushed past Charles and ran out onto the balcony, breathing heavily as she leaned on the stone railing.

Amanda felt like she'd been out there for an eternity. The sun was starting to go down. Thankfully, no one had come out there to bother her, though she suspected her brother had something to do with that. Suddenly, she felt a set of knuckles brush against her lower back, and a surprised gasp escaped her as she turned around. Even slightly disheveled from sleep and sickness, Erik still made her heart flutter. She was expecting a shouting match, but instead got a small smile. She nervously twisted a piece of hair around her fingers and asked, "Shouldn't you still be resting in bed?" Not missing a beat, he replied, "Shouldn't you wear more lipstick, if you're going to act like my mother?" Amanda gulped at those words, even though she knew he was just trying to be funny. Did he know how much she'd seen? At least, he was feeling better now. Erik's face then became less mischievous and more somber. He said, "Charles told me what happened, beyond what I heard from the railing. I appreciate your hospitality and your standing up for me, but…Amanda-" He put his hands on her shoulders and continued, "The worries over my past are my cross to bear. Not yours." She tentatively nodded, knowing that conversation wouldn't go any further.

She turned around again and faced the horizon, feeling Erik's hands once more settle on her shoulders. She sighed as they closed around her, linking just under her chin. She placed her hands on his forearms as he whispered in her ear, "I told you I had a lot to thank you for." She smiled, and she felt him smile back. He was right about the whole worrying thing. The charity ball was coming up on Saturday. Amanda knew she had to focus her energy more towards making a good impression on these currently nameless, faceless people.

_**AN: And so, the walls between these two are starting to come down. Let's see next time how Amanda deals w/ her 1st trip into the world her siblings grew up in, the world of trust fund-babies.**_


	9. Representing

_**"Just a little change. Small, to say the least. Both a little scared. Neither one prepared. Beauty and the Beast."-(title track from the Disney film "Beauty and the Beast")**_

Saturday arrived sooner than Amanda was ready for. She was beyond nervous. She wanted to conduct herself as a proper, elegant, born-and-bred trust fund baby around these potential investors. She didn't want to come across as the inexperienced, occasionally scatterbrained child she actually was. And the way Erik kept staring at her certainly wasn't helping matters. He looked at her as if she was all that was good and pure in the world—no pressure _there_ at all, either—but he was too scared to admit it. Over the past few days, she'd been reading up on formal dinner manners. She'd even practiced walking a perfect straight line, preparing by balancing a book on her head. Charles found all this quite amusing. Every time he saw her from his study, practicing her posture, he couldn't help but laugh. "She really is trying too hard", he thought. Amanda had already asked Angel to do her makeup for the ball, and despite her misgivings about the woman, she agreed to let Emma take care of her hair. And once again, her thoughts drifted to Erik.

She'd noticed how almost everyone in the mansion had been looking at him…differently. In their eyes, she saw something Erik surely must've hated: pity. She'd tried talking to her brother about it, and she'd even asked Sean when she passed him after breakfast. He said, "I don't know. I mean…like, we all knew he had a bad childhood, but none of us thought it was _that_ bad. "Whenever she thought about approaching Erik directly and apologizing for the billionth time for embarrassing him, he'd simply smile and pat her shoulder. Things seemed to have gone back to normal pretty normal after that, but her pre-party nerves weren't any less frayed.

On the big night, Amanda sat in front of her mirror, shaking inside as she thought about the task ahead. She really, really wanted to make her brother look good for these people, and she wanted Charles to be proud of her. One could say she wanted to prove herself worthy of the Xavier family name. She sat there in her bathrobe, still pondering things, when she heard a tap on her door, followed by Angel's voice saying, "Knock, knock, princess. The beauty squad is here." When she saw Emma peeking over the shorter brunette's shoulder, Amanda tried to further cover herself up. The blond rolled her eyes and giggled saying, 'Oh, _please_, sugar, I walk around in _way_ less. Trust me, _this_", she gestured at the empath's robe, "is no big deal."

The two immediately set to work, moving so fast that she could barely keep up with them. Emma put several jeweled clips in Amanda's hair, pinning the back of it up off her neck. A couple of loose curls were left out to frame her face. Angel was positively buzzing, even without the aid of her wings. She put a shade of lipstick on Amanda's lips that was reminiscent of cranberries. She then added gloss for, quote, "that extra punch of shine." Next, she moved on to Amanda's eyes, using a dusty-rose shadow to highlight her green irises. "Don't forget, missy, false lashes are your best friend in times like these." Amanda giggled and watched Emma open the box where her new jewelry was being kept. She made a noise of approval and said, "Mm…nice job on the sparkle, sugar. Even _I'm_ envious." Angel was squealing her agreement, jogging to the back of the room and saying, "Okay. _Now_, it's time for…the dress." Amanda rolled her eyes. "Jeez, it's not like I'm getting married." She felt a tiny shiver go down her spine when her words earned a wink from Emma. When everything was finally put together, she stared at her reflection in amazement. "Wow, this…i-is this really me?" Angel patted her shoulder and said, "Mm-hm. And it'll keep being you, as long as you don't smudge my masterpiece." All three of them giggled.

The car was waiting outside, and Charles chuckled at the fact that his little sister thought it was empty. He had an extra surprise for her, one that she'd see once she got downstairs. He would still play the innocent bystander for now, but that didn't mean he couldn't tease her a bit. Raven and Alex stood on either side of him, with the girl looking the most anxious of the three of them. She couldn't wait to see how Amanda looked in the dress they'd bought. It was something she'd always treasure, since it was their first real sibling-bonding moment. To her right, the blond sixteen-year-old boy looked more resigned than anxious. Charles had finally had enough of Alex's petty jealousy, taking him aside yesterday and explaining, "She doesn't care for you in the way that I know you'd like. In fact, with all this aggression you're putting out, I'm surprised that she even cares for you at all. Think about that before your stupidity costs you something precious." It was tough love, Xavier style. Everyone was excited, waiting for the lady of the hour to finally make her appearance.

Amanda hesitated at the top of the second staircase. She'd felt fine when she left her room. But the closer she got to the first floor, the more real this party seemed to her. This was to be a sort of coming-out event for her, her way of helping her brother start to bridge the gap between mutants and humans. Speaking of Charles, she suddenly heard his voice in her mind, 'saying', "Don't worry about it, Mandy-lou. You'll be fine. I know you'll make me proud." "I hope so, Charlie. It's the only thing I'm worried about." His mental laugh was enough to calm her down. If he was happy, so was she. With a renewed sense of confidence, she put her hand on the bannister and began her descent.

The lights grew a bit brighter, the closer Amanda got to the mansion's ground floor. She peeked over the railing for a minute, smiling when she saw the tops of her siblings' heads. She flicked her eyes to the right, taking brief notice of a man in a tux with his back to everyone. She shrugged her shoulders, assuming he must be her driver. That was something else over which she owed Charles a heap of gratitude. As a gift, he'd allowed the family Rolls-Royce to be used to take her to the party. She picked up a corner of her gown so she wouldn't trip, going down that final batch of stairs.

Everyone was smiling when they saw her. They were awestruck. The girl looked like a movie star! Normally, Amanda hated being the center of attention in such a way, but this was something she really couldn't escape. She immediately went over to her brother and sister, and they both complimented her on how she looked. "So, Charlie, you said you got a 'Rolls' for me. Where's the driver?" "That would be me." That familiar voice made Amanda turn sharply to her right, fighting to keep her composure. She didn't see Charles's smirk behind her. It was time for the secret second part of her surprise.

Erik stood by the doorway, hair slicked back, and wearing the sharpest-looking black tuxedo she'd ever seen. There were absolutely no signs that days ago, he'd been tucked in bed, sick out of his mind. Amanda noticed that his tie was embroidered with gold threads, which matched her gown perfectly. "Um…I, um…I'm confused. Why are you-" Once he caught the breath he'd lost upon first seeing her, Erik replied, "Well, Charles pointed out that every lady deserves a companion to such a grand occasion. He asked me to keep an eye on you, make sure you handled everything okay." Slowly turning her head over her shoulder, she said, "Riiiiight", flashing an "I'll get you for this later" glare at her brother. Charles simply smiled and winked. He then told her, "Go enjoy yourself, Mandy-lou. Don't waste the night, just standing around the doorway." She sighed and mumbled under her breath, "If you say so." There was nothing she could do now, but accept Erik's offered arm. However, any fear she had was whisked away once he put his hand over hers, gently folding in into a comfortable place in the crook of his right elbow. After throwing their good-byes to everyone over their shoulders, they walked out the door and got into the car.

Obviously, there was no one waiting in the car's driver seat, which Amanda was thankful for. "Ready to head off?" Taking one last quick glance back at the mansion—this was it—she said, "Yeah, let's go." As Erik too the car out of the driveway, she told him, "I didn't know you drive." "You'll find I'm full of surprises." He flashed a sideways smile at her, and she was shocked when her responding blush came out, coupled with a laugh. A few more minutes into the drive, he said, "You look absolutely stunning tonight, Amanda." "Well, thank you, Erik. I think you look great, too." There was a brief pause. Then he quirked up an eyebrow and asked, "Hey, why do I only get a 'great'?" The words "Shut up" came out through her giggles.

She was having such a great time already, and they weren't even at the party yet. Amanda knew she was staring, and that it was supposed to be impolite, but she really couldn't help herself. She thought, "I…l-like…_wow_. He could _so_ be James Bond in that tux! He looks gorgeous! Oh, and, memo to myself: reminder to kill Charlie when we get home." Whenever Erik would look away, she'd steal a glance at him, not realizing he was doing the same. It took all his strength not to take her in his arms, hold her close, and tell her exactly how much she meant to him. Others things were urging him to _show_ her, as well, but he forced himself to ignore them. He thought, "What in the world could a monster like me have done, to deserve this? She looks like a golden angel, while I'm all in black. She's the candle in my darkness. Still, everything else has been taken away from me. I won't lose something else. I can't drop my guard around her, though I so desperately want to." He then muttered under his breath, "If you don't jump, then you can't fall." "What?"

Erik flinched when he realized Amanda heard him. Quickly composing himself, he flashed a smile and replied "Nothing. It's just a creed I've been living by for most of my life." She nodded and gave a sad sigh. His words reminded her of the images she'd gotten when she touched his branding. She said softly, "I'm sorry you lived that." "I'm sorry you _saw_ that." "But still…maybe this is good thing. I feel like I understand you a little bit better now." Erik chuckled and said, "No one can understand me, milady. I'm incredibly complex. I'm the ultimate indecipherable puzzle." "Or you like to _think_ you are." He shot her a mock-glare, but that gave way to another smile when she then asked, "Milady? Suddenly, you're so formal?"

A couple of minutes later, Amanda told him, "Um, back to what you said earlier, about jumping and falling…I really do think you're missing out on so much in life, Erik." "Like what?" She paused, thinking over her answer, before saying, "If you don't jump, then you'll never know what it's like to fly." They'd stopped at a light by that point, Erik suddenly turning to look at her. The weight of his stare, the heat in his eyes…it felt like he was boring through to her very soul. "I've never thought of it that way before", he said. "There's a first time for everything." He smiled and patted her shoulder.

They were relatively quiet for the rest of the drive, which only ended up lasting about twenty minutes more. When they pulled into the parking lot, Amanda turned to look out the window at the brightly-lit building, watching as countless people filed in. She sighed and swallowed hard, fighting the nervousness that was threatening to take over her body. Suddenly, she felt her left hand become enclosed in warmth, smiling when she turned in that direction. Erik was holding her hand, trying to comfort her. He softly asked if she was ready. She replied, "As ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."

Nobody paid much attention to the pair as they walked inside, but that relative invisibility didn't last long. A middle-aged man in a navy-blue tuxedo walked up to them, taking a puff on his cigar before asking, "Now, who might this vision of loveliness be?" The girl smiled as she accepted his offer of a handshake. "Amanda Xavier. It's a pleasure to meet you…" Taking that as her asking his name, he smiled and said, "Shane Hoffman. You must be Charles's sister. He's told me so much about you over the phone. I'm glad we've finally been introduced." "So am I. I hope Charlie's only told you good things." Shane laughed and took another puff on his cigar.

He then turned to her companion asking, "And _you_ are…?" "Erik Lehnsherr. I'm an associate of the professor's. He asked me to be Amanda's escort for the evening." She giggled at his use of the word 'escort' thinking it sounded funny coming out of his mouth. "Escort? More like _chaperone_. Charlie's _very_ protective of me." The trio laughed before Shane said, "Wait. Did you say your last name was Lehnsherr?" "Yes." "Mm…it's nice to meet a fellow German. Well, _half_-German in _my_ case." Erik kept his mask-like smile as they parted company, and he walked away with Amanda.

Once they were a safe distance away, Erik said under his breath, "What an unbelievable kiss-up." "I don't think he was so bad." "Well, of course, he doesn't want to _seem_ bad. But this…all this…", and he made a slight sweeping gesture with his hand before continuing, "All this is just another form of politics. One doesn't need a job in government to be involved in such things. And besides, if we're truly being honest here…" He leaned in close to Amanda's left ear, the tip of his nose brushing its curve. His warm breath ticked, making her own breath hitch sharply in her throat, and causing her heart rate to speed up dramatically. There was a dull, clenching ache in her stomach. Her inner cavewoman purred at how close those perfect teeth were to her earlobe and the skin of her neck. She briefly closed her eyes, forcing back the small groan that wanted to come out. She came out of her daze in time to hear him say, "I'm sorry you have to deal with these _pathetic_ humans."

So lost in sensation was Amanda, that when the edges of his lips just barely ghosted over her throat, she'd already tilted her head in reflex and displayed her neck before fully realizing what he'd said. Her eyes grew wide in realization. This wasn't a night for bias or arguments, and she wasn't about to let it become one. With determination in her eyes, she faced Erik directly and said, "I was under the impression that you loved your mother. Was I wrong?" "Of course, I did. I still do. I miss her every day." "If you loved her so much, than why would you condemn her like that?" Confusion flashed in his eyes. She told him, "Your mother was human, Erik. She didn't have any powers." He stood straight again, instantly getting the message. He didn't comment on the matter any further.

They spent most of the night in similar mingling situations. Everyone was clearly impressed with Amanda, which she couldn't wait to go home and tell her siblings about. In the middle of that, she could tell that Erik was becoming antsier by the minute. He didn't like to indulge in these kinds of crowds any more than he absolutely had to. After their dinner, chicken parmesan, as well as a couple of glasses of wine, he'd grown too tired to being a smiling robot. He stood from his chair as music began to play, politely excusing himself from the table, before turning to Amanda and saying low enough for only her to hear, "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted." He then smiled and extended his hand palm-up, asking in a slightly louder tone, "Would you care to dance, Miss Xavier?"

Amanda didn't know what to do. The world around them had become a blue, as if they were moving at light-speed while she and Erik were frozen. She knew this was some kind of threshold crossing, but she debated in whether or not to care. She raised her wineglass to her mouth, taking a sip as she briefly closed her eyes. In that moment, she made her decision. She re-opened her eyes, put her glass down, smiled at him…and placed her hand in his ad she stood up. "I'd be honored."

Her reward was him smiling, a smile that put his perfect teeth and dimples fully on display. As he led her to the center of the floor, she asked, "Since when do you _dance_?" "I told you in the car that I was full of surprises." "That you did, indeed." Once they found a good spot, he maneuvered them into a proper dancing position. He noticed how nervous she was, softly telling her, "The waltz isn't as hard as you think. Just follow my lead." She sighed as he settled his right hand on the small of her back, taking her right hand in his left one as she rested her own left hand on his right arm. There was a soft non-classical melody playing over the loudspeakers. It was very dream-like, seeming to echo Amanda's feeling in that precise moment.

They moved slowly and fluidly, like being on a gentle ocean. Erik said, "See? This isn't so bad, is it? You're a natural." Amanda smiled gratefully and blushed, briefly flicking her eyes down to make sure she didn't accidentally step on his toes. They were quiet for a couple of minutes, with him spinning her around once. For a moment after that spin, she rested her head sideways against his chest. She closed her eyes and relaxed, giving a contented sigh as she reveled in the dance's soft baby-sway. She heard Erik's heart thumping hard in his ribs, and it felt like the most comforting force in the world to her. He rubbed circles into her back, placing his chin on the top of her head.

After another two minutes, they locked eyes again. Erik said, "You know…it took a lot of courage to talk to me like that earlier. I mean…to bring up my mother…that was a very brave thing to do, little empath. Most people would be too terrified to do that. And why should they not be? After all, like Havok told you, I'm a dangerous man." He lowered his voice to a near-whisper, leaning in a bit before adding, "I'm bad news." After he then winked at her, Amanda decided to give his a taste of his own teasing medicine, wanting to prove that she could give as good as she got. Taking a deep breath, she said, "I'm _many_ things around you, Erik, but frightened out of my mind _isn't_ one of them." The corner of her mouth twitched in a tiny smirk, a smirk that made Erik catch his breath, "My, my, you are quite brave indeed." She replied, "More than you know." "Mm…how much more?"

The question itself wasn't what caused her heart to race. What did was the fact that his hands had now moved to rest at the tops of her hips, allowing her own hands to link around his waist. Their dancing had slowed down considerably, even more than what was being dictated to them by the music. She thought she was hallucinating at first, but…it looked like he was tilting his head down. Within his mind, Erik was having a fist-fight with his mostly negative inner voice, which was screaming for him to stop this even as it was being strangled. Softly, Amanda asked him what he was doing. He chuckled under his breath and replied, "What does it _look_ like I'm doing? I'm _flying_." The tip of his nose brushed hers, and he slid his hands up to cradle her face. His thumbs brushed under her cheekbones, close enough now for her to feel his breath on her face. Both sets of eyes reflexively slowly started to close. This was it, the moment she'd been waiting for. It took all her strength to fight the squeak that wanted to come out. Reflexively, her lips parted slightly to welcome his…

Right as Erik was about to fully close the deal and kiss her, another dancing couple suddenly brushed past them. The man must've had way too much to drink, because he nearly knocked both him and Amanda off their feet. His wife deeply apologized for his actions. Amanda kept her head down, barely able to speak as her face bushed fire engine-red. Erik simply smiled and told her it was no trouble: "No harm, no foul, no bruise involved. My date and I were just about to leave, anyway. Amanda?" Her head popped up. "Hmm? Sorry, what?" "I asked if you were ready to go home yet." "Oh, um…yes. Yes, I am." She giggled and continued, "Sorry for my wandering mind. But you're right. We _should_ be getting back to the mansion. Everyone's waiting for us, and my brother's probably worried." "Well, let's not give poor Charles a panic attack, then." As they laughed, the other man was now starting to babble incoherently. He was definitely going to have a massive hangover in the morning.

The pair was relatively quiet as they drove back home, occasionally commenting on whatever music was playing on the radio. As she turned up a Motown song a short while later, Amanda thought back over a couple of the night's events. One in particular crossed her mind, causing her to smile and giggle. Erik glanced sideways at her and asked what was funny. "Nothing." "No, it's okay. Tell me." "Well…you called me your date." "I just figured it had a better connotation than 'escort'." Another couple of minutes passed before she found the courage to ask, "Erik, just curious…that day at the pool, what would've happened if Raven hadn't interrupted us?" The corner of his mouth twitched up. He said, "That's for one of us to know, and the other to find out." "But who will do the knowing, and who will do the finding out?" His smile grew bigger, and she smiled back before saying, "Perhaps, we should leave that up to destiny to decide." "I prefer to make my own destiny", he replied.

Erik then sighed and told her, "You know, when I first saw you coming down the stairs, I thought of the classic Greek myths. You reminded me of Persephone, not caring that, in turn, made me Hades." "Does that mean you're going to kidnap me?" He laughed. No. It refers to being the one bright spot in the universe of a cast-out man." She blushed and said, "Some people we know would speculate on whether you're Hades or Ares, the god of death or the god of war…or possibly both." His expression became contemplative. "A fair comparison. But then again, that would provoke questions about you, as well." "Me? What's so special about me? I'm no goddess." "You're more than you care to believe, Amanda."

There was a brief pause before he continued, "I think they'd wonder if you were Persephone, as _I_ said, or if you were Athena. What a combination, too: the damsel in distress with all the wisdom." "Erik, you know I'm the farthest thing from a damsel in distress." "That I do." Amanda then said, "I wonder…does that make Charlie Apollo, because of all his knowledge of culture, medicine, music, poetry, art, and science? Or does it make him Zeus, since he's, like, the wise king of the mansion?" Erik chuckled and said, "I'm not sure. The debate will never end."

While they drove the next few miles in silence, Amanda thought over their so-called "debate". In a way, Erik and Charles truly were like a real-life Zeus and Hades. They were friends and brothers, at heart in this case, and they seemed to hold court over two very different worlds. One was beloved by all, while the other was regarded with anger and wariness. They were perfect companions to each other. The whole world comes in pairs, and these two men were a prime example of that. They were light and dark, compassion and oppression, good and…despite his voiced beliefs to the contrary, she didn't think Erik was totally evil. She was brought out of her musings by him saying, "One thing I _am_ sure of, however…is that stupid drunkard had the absolute worst timing in the world." Amanda giggled and asked, "Pray tell why that is?" Her good-natured teasing was rewarded by a shocking event: Erik actually blushed! And vividly, too! He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to conceal it. When they stopped at a light, he turned to look at her. For some unknown reason, they both burst out laughing, and they remained in great moods the whole rest of the drive.

_**AN: I tried to model the bit in Amanda's bedroom after the 'wedding prep' scene in "Breaking Dawn: Part 1". As for what song she & Erik were waltzing to, I'll just leave that up to the reader's imagination. In my mind, it's an instrumental form of "Everytime We Touch" (the slow version). That doesn't have to be your choice, but feel free (if you want) to type your idea in the review box. As always, I only ask that you be kind.**_


	10. Sisterhood Sleepover

_**AN: Again, sorry for the wait, my people. Got a lot of home drama to deal w/ right now. Anyway, in this chapter, yet another tiny chunk is taken out from the walls between Erik & Amanda, and she & Raven have a heart-to-heart talk.**_

The mansion was quiet as they walked through the front doors, far too quiet for Amanda's taste. The students must've gone to bed, so where…"Charlie? Charlie, where are you?" As Erik placed the car keys on a nearby table, she slowly walked around and called into the shadows, "We're home! Charlie?" Then, there came the muffled voice, "I'm in my study, Mandy-lou. I was settling some last-minute documents before my flight tomorrow." As Amanda poked her head around the doorway, the siblings exchanged smiles, as well as kisses on the cheek a few seconds later.

"How did your night go?" "Actually, it was better than I expected. I mean, the muscles in my face do hurt a little from smiling so much, but-" "I _warned_ her." They both chuckled softly, hearing Erik's voice out in the hallway. Charles gently squeezed her hand, saying, "I told you it wouldn't be that bad." He stretched his neck a bit and said, "The same goes for _you_ out there." A muffled "yeah, yeah" was the response. Amanda giggled and continued, "But seriously, I really did have a good time. We wined, we dined, we danced-" "Danced? You and Erik—okay." The confusion on his face was adorable. "We also had a rather interesting discussion on the way home about Greek mythology." "Well, whatever works, I suppose."

After a brief pause, Amanda said, "I think I'll head off to bed now. You sure you're fine with handling all this by yourself? You do have a big day tomorrow, after all." "Yeah, don't worry about me. I'll be fine." Seeing the look on her face, he chuckled under his breath and said, "I promise you, I will. I know you're the other hen here, but-" "That's what Sean called me a few days ago." "Well, he's right. I _am_ a big boy, you know." "Alright, alright, I get it. I'll be there in the morning to see you off." "You'd better be", he said as he kissed her forehead." "Night, Charlie." "Good night." After a gentle squeeze and pat on the shoulder, Amanda left the study. She stopped in front of Erik as she reached the staircase.

Erik was standing next to the coatrack by the front door, smiling warmly at her. She smiled back and said, "I had a really good time tonight. Thanks for putting up with me." "I could say the same to you." In the moment of awkward silence that followed, he flicked imaginary lint off his jacket lapels, and Amanda nervously shifted from foot to foot. She ended up being the one to break the silence, saying, "Well, I better turn in. I'm kind of tired." She gently patted his shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. She was about to walk past him up the stairs, when he suddenly reached out and grabbed her left wrist. Their eyes met, and the world around them seemed to stop.

Erik walked slowly up the first couple of stairs to her side, his hand sliding to her upper arm. Very softly, he said, "I know you think I don't like parties, and I normally don't, but…I really did have a good time, too." Her smile grew bigger, hiding the tremor that shot through her body at his touch. She mumbled a thank-you, but she was stopped from leaving when out of nowhere, Erik stretched out her neck…and kissed her cheek. It was right near the corner of her mouth, enough to tease, but not completely close the deal. Whether it was deliberate or not, Amanda didn't know. Her hand instantly shot up to cover the spot, her voice coming out squeaky as she said, "What was _that_ for?" The right corner of his mouth twitched up. "Maybe, it'll bring sweet dreams." Right, like she was really going to sleep after that. After a second of pause, he said, "Why don't we let _destiny_ decide, hmm?" Amanda smiled and looked down, nodding as a slight blush came to her face.

She turned to leave again, only to pause when she glanced back over her shoulder. She watched Erik take a box of cigarettes from his pocket, obviously preparing to go back out for a smoke. He sensed her staring at him and turned around. He said, "Thank goodness we got out of there when we did. All that mingling…I admit, it was starting to make me anxious." He then took one cigarette from the box, put the box itself back in his pocket, and then took out a lighter. "Charlie expressed his…_distaste _for that habit while you were sick." "Oh, did he? Well then—", and he glanced at the doors to Charles's study before saying, "It seems we've reached an impasse. _I'll_ give up _these_ when _he_ gives up the _liquor_." He didn't tell her about the mental response of "Touché, my friend" he received.

Amanda watched him walk to the door and grab the handle, suddenly recalling a certain detail of the night's events. Walking up slowly behind Erik, she said, "You know…you never told me your mother's name." He gave a heavy sigh. "Edie. Her name was Edie." "That's pretty. I bet she was a beautiful person." Turning around, he asked how she could possibly know that. She didn't know what possessed her to do it, but she found herself reaching her left hand up and cupping the side of his face. Affectionately rubbing her thumb along his cheekbone, she said, "I just know." He put his hand over hers, and they stayed like that for a solid minute. All the other sweet gestures she'd made up to that point could be chalked up to mere pity, but this was different. The skin on a person's face is the most vulnerable part of their body, and there has to be an incredible amount of trust and caring to allow someone else to touch them there. It was one of the ultimate gestures of acceptance. He knew the hidden meaning behind her comment about his mother. They traded "good nights", both too amazed to look back again as they parted ways.

Within fifteen minutes, Amanda was already out of the shower and in her pajamas: a knee-length pink tie-dye sleep-shirt. She was braiding her hair, when there was an unexpected knock at her door. She smiled when she saw who was on the other side. "Hey, sis. What's up?" "Just wondering how things went at the ball, Cinderella." As she shut the door again behind them, Amanda said, "Oh, please. I'm as much a princess as the sky is purple with green polka-dots." Raven replied in a sing-song voice, "That's not what Erik said." The empath's breath hitched. He'd called her 'princess' a few nights earlier in the kitchen, when he was just starting to get sick. Surely, her sister couldn't have heard it…right? "Hmph. I thought Emma was the resident gossip queen." "I can give her a run for her money when the occasion calls, trust me." She then sat on Amanda's bed and said, "Actually…I wanted to ask if you were up for having a sleep-over tonight. I could bring my stuff over here, some nail polish, and we'll have a good time. Is that cool?" "Sure. Sounds awesome."

A short while later, the sisters sat cross-legged on Amanda's bed, both enjoying the last bits of Jiffy-Pop. "Shoot. It's empty. Bring anything else with you, Ray?" The morphing girl reached into her duffel bag, smiling as she said, "Girl, you know I did." She had a bag of chips in one hand, and a small jar of cheese dip in the other. Amanda said, "This is great. It's a girly, junk food-induced party time." "Heck, yeah!" Both were laughing as they shared a high-five.

A couple of rounds of dipping the chips later, Raven asked, "So, speaking of 'party time', how _did_ it go at the party?" "It was great, better than I thought it was going to be. It did get a little annoying to play the invisible politics game. But hey, them's the brakes when one is a part of this society. You and Charlie are so lucky that you've had so much more experience with it." "Yeah, but that doesn't make any easier or fun. So, since you claim to have had a good time, I'll safely assume Erik behaved himself?" "That's the second time you've mentioned him in the last few minutes", Amanda said. "How do you feel about that?" "Oh my gosh! First it was our _brother_, _then_ Emma, _then_ Angel, then _Alex_, and now _you_!" A frustrated groan escaped her as she collapsed backwards onto the bed.

Raven moved closer to her and said, "Look, if there's something you want to talk about, I promise not to give away anything. Charles won't read my mind without permission, and Emma would sooner have a death wish than try." Amanda gave a tiny half-smile at that comment, but she didn't otherwise respond. She took a deep breath and began, "Everybody's right. I _do_ have feelings for Erik. I have since the moment I met him." She then proceeded to spill her guts about everything that had occurred in the past three weeks. Raven listened intently, her face barely betraying any emotion.

After a few minutes, Amanda asked for her sister's opinion. Raven replied, "Well first, I'm surprised that you didn't come to me sooner about this. I mean, it's not like I would've been judgmental or anything." "I know that, but I was a little scared to ask your advice." "Why?" "Because…because I assumed _you_ liked Erik. You seem very close, so what else was I supposed to think? I didn't want you to be angry with me over it." That statement earned a sigh from the blue-skinned girl. She hated making her own sister feel so worried. It wasn't fair. Sure, she was adopted, but it requires more than blood to be a family.

She knew her silence was starting to make Amanda even more nervous, so she finally said, "I did have a _crush_ on Erik at one point. I won't lie to you about it, but I can promise it never went beyond that. Those particular feelings are _long_ gone. I just care deeply for him now, and I'll always be grateful to him for helping me learn to accept myself. You don't have to worry about expressing your feelings to me. I'm here to listen. If you like Erik, you shouldn't be afraid to say it, just as you shouldn't be afraid of sharing your mutation." "I'm not ashamed of my mutation, sis. I never have been, and I never will be. But having empathic powers had disadvantages. Sometimes, I think I feel _too_ much." Amanda then curled her left arm behind her head and reached up with her opposite one, touching the spot where Erik had given that quick, gentle peck to her cheek. If she focused hard enough, she felt like she could still feel the pressure of his lips against her skin. Her face grew warm, and though it was beyond cliché, she let out a soft sigh of contentment.

Raven told her, "Sweetie, there's no such thing as feeling too much. It's just not-" She then heard Amanda's little sigh, and she watched the girl's contemplative, happy expression as she touched her left cheek. That's when it finally clicked. "This is more than just a simple school-girl crush, isn't it?" When her sister glanced at her, but didn't say anything, she continued, "You don't just _like_ Erik. You're full-fledged, head-over-heels in _love_ with him."

Amanda tried to smile, but she didn't have the emotional strength to hold it up. The slightly-upturned wobble of her lips fell, giving way as a small cry escaped them. Hair-thin rivers of tears squeezed from the corners of her eyes. She said, "I am in love with him. I love him so much, Ray. And it's…it's-it's-" "It's what?" Raven helped her sit up and rubbed comforting circles into her back. When the empathy felt comfortable enough to talk again, she said, "It's just so _painful_. I mean, he's certainly not the type of person I expected to fall for. Given the circumstances, I'm technically supposed to hate him." "I thought you didn't believe in technicalities." "I don't, but…I'm not lying about being painful, though. I've seen what he's been through, and I see in his eyes the agony he still carries over those events. Those eyes…I was drawn into them immediately."

Raven slid her left arm around her sister's shoulder, continuing to listen as Amanda's voice once again grew more strained and she said, "I just…I j-just don't know how to help him. I don't know if my love will be enough. Like I said, he's endured so much, and…and I don't know how to support him." "You're wrong about that, sweetie. Despite that baby-face of yours, you've got an inner strength that many _middle-aged_ people don't have, and could never hope to."

She went on to say, "Erik is lucky to have someone like you in his corner. Believe me, he's not naïve. He knows precisely how you feel. He wouldn't tease you like that as frequently if he didn't. You keep saying that you've seen his bad childhood, so you know how hard it is for him to trust people. He'll never admit this out loud, but he's terribly scared of getting hurt. For most of his life, that's all he's known. It's why he practically tip-toes around everyone. He puts up a really brave front. Tell me, though…are you scared to tell him about the full range of your feelings, because you're worried he doesn't reciprocate?" Amanda shook her head slightly and replied, "I think he does, but like you said, he doesn't want to admit it. He made that fact pretty clear at the party." "Meaning what?" She paused and said, "Raven…Erik tried to kiss me tonight."

A couple of silent seconds went by. "Um…are you _sure_ that's what he was doing?" "Absolutely. We were dancing, having so much fun, when he suddenly began to slow down. I noticed the intense look in his eyes. I realized that he was slowly leaning towards me, and I…I-I just froze. My heart was pounding. Oh, gosh, he was _so_ close." She paused and turned to her right, saying, "He was close enough, Ray, for me to feel his stubble scratch my face. I could even feel his breath on my skin. If some drunk guy hadn't bumped into us, I know our lips would've touched."

Within the hour that followed, the chips and dip were long gone, the radio was playing softly, and the girls were painting their nails. Well actually, Amanda was painting her fingernails, while her toenails were being handled by Raven. This was one of the times she felt bad for her sister, since the morphing girl's natural scaly skin prevented her from doing a lot of girly things, but she didn't seem to mind anymore. She'd referred to the chosen color as "cake frosting pink". Once that part was completed, they added a clear coat to the top, which contained a sprinkling of gold glitter. While they waited for it to dry, Amanda asked what she should do. "I'm not sure. Do you think Charles knows what's going on?" "You're kidding me, right? Whether he knows the _depth_ of my feelings for Erik is up for debate, but I _know_ he senses the chemistry between us. He's taken an observation approach for now, but…he also seems pretty keen to tease me about it in the mean-time."

Raven covered her mouth, laughing as she said, "That's what big brothers do. It's part of the job description. And…look, I know Charles doesn't exactly seem like the biggest expert in the true romance department, but-" "I'm not going to Charlie for advice on this. No way. No how, not a snowball's chance." "Hey, be thankful you never had to endure watching him flirt with the co-eds at the local pub. Back when we were still ling in England…now, _that_ was _torture_." Amanda giggled and said, "Are you telling me that the great sage of mutant-dom…was a _tail-chaser_?" "Who said anything about 'was'? Don't make the mistake of thinking the wheelchair has slowed him down. Honestly, I think Charles has some weird kind of automatic 'goo-goo eyes' switch in his brain."

Upon hearing that comment, Amanda once again fell back against her mattress, but laughing this time. Raven then said, "Oh, it gets better. He always liked using the fancy terms his degree program taught him as pick-up lines." "What, no 'I scraped my knee when I fell for you'-type stuff? These girls were really lured in with talks of genetic mutation? They actually bought into that?" "In spades. The walls in our apartment were _very_ thin." "Ew" came out in a groaning tone, which earned her a giggle in response. "No, seriously, Ray, ew." "You asked." "You didn't have to answer." The girls were both laughing hysterically by now, and they got into a pillow-fight.

Long after the energy from the pillow-fight was spent, the sisters were lying next to each other on the bed, watching some late-night television. Amanda again tried to return to their original topic of conversation. She said, "Let's get real here. What am I going to do about the whole Erik situation? How can I get him to take more serious notice of me? I-I know that sounds stupid, but-" "No, no, I totally get what you mean. You want him to see you as a woman, not just as his best friend's baby sister. You want him to see you as physically appealing, rather than just intellectually appealing. Is that about right?" When she got a smiling nod in response, Raven continued, "I'll help you with that, no problem. We bought more clothes than just the gown you wore tonight. I suggest you start there." They both giggled.

She went on to say that Amanda should put together a few outfits for the next couple of weeks, and see how they drew Erik's attention. Using that as a kind of springboard, she could start doing things like looking him in the eyes when he teased her, rather than turning away. By holding his gaze, she'd be letting him know that she wasn't backing down, that she wasn't afraid of a challenge. At one point, Raven told her, "Hey, his birthday is Thursday, the twenty-seventh. Maybe, you could do something with that." "His _birthday_? Gosh…I don't even have a present for him yet. Thanks for telling me _now_." They giggled and playfully smacked each other, before exchanging good-nights and facing opposite directions as they lied down.

Finally, this would be another situation where Amanda could take charge of her life. The first one came after her mother's passing, when she enrolled in a strange new school in hopes of connecting with the brother she never knew. She didn't count on him being a telepath, and that he likely knew who she was before she'd even walked through the mansion doors. That was part of the fun, though. She loved her life as it was now, and she couldn't wait to see if she could convince Erik to share that joy with her. As she adjusted herself into a more comfortable position on her bed, she smiled as she again thought of the gentle kiss placed on her cheek. She also couldn't wait to start shopping tomorrow for his birthday, as well as planning the party. The final thought that crossed her mind as she faded into slumber was, "Let the games begin."

_**AN: The little review box is calling for you: "My precious, my precious..."**_


	11. Planning

_**"...I will reach him. There has to be a way."-"Stories" (from the movie "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas")**_

The next morning, Raven wished her sister luck in her new endeavor as she left. A short while later Amanda was in the kitchen, cooking her breakfast. As she turned her omelet in the skillet, she heard heavy footsteps. They sounded like heavy boots, leading her to believe they were being made by Erik. That was until she glanced over her shoulder, and she saw Riptide in the kitchen doorway. They'd barely exchanged more than a few polite words in passing, so this was a welcome surprise. "Good morning." He smiled, replying, "Good morning to you. I've been wondering what that delightful smell was."

"Personally, I'm not a very good friend of the kitchen", he said before adding, "You looked positively radiant last night." "Thanks, but I'd be careful with my words if I were you. My brother might be listening. You know how protective he is of me." "There's nothing wrong with a compliment, Miss Xavier. I know I wasn't the only one who noticed. Our fearless leader seemed quite taken with you, as well." "Yes, Erik was a wonderful companion last night. I liked being able to have in-depth discussions to distract me from all the parading around."

The conversation ended after she whispered a reminder in Riptide's ear about Erik's birthday. He poured a cup of coffee, taking an orange and a muffin as his breakfast before leaving the kitchen. Amanda decided to make a second omelet for Charles, hoping it would give him an extra energy boost for the day. She closed her eyes to send the mental message, asking him what he'd like in his eggs. She was surprised that he was actually up this early, getting a short 'chuckle' and a 'response' of, "Some green peppers, if we have them. Thanks for being so considerate, love." "It's no trouble." She also made some sandwiches for him to take on the plane and put them in a small cooler, along with a few cans of soda and cookies wrapped in tin foil. "Perhaps, I should start calling you mum", she 'heard' her brother 'say'. "Perhaps you should." "Perhaps who should what?"

Amanda turned to her right. "Hey, Hank. I didn't see you there. What's up?" "Nothing much. You?" "Never better. Just so you know, I wasn't talking to myself", and she tapped two fingers to her right temple before saying, "Charlie was giving me a little sarcastic humor." "Ha-ha. Yeah, he tends to do that a lot. So, besides the professor's big send-off, got any other plans for today?" She gestured for him to wait a minute as she began setting the table. He was kind enough to help her. She told him, "Yes, but they're not just for today. There's a special occasion coming up near the end of the week, and I have to start planning for it immediately."

He was about to ask for more information, but Amanda picked up on it right away, saying, "Mm-mm. No dice on this one, McCoy. Certain details must be kept secret until the time is right. Trust me, though, I will tell you more when that time comes." "Be assured, Hank, Mandy-lou never breaks a promise" Amanda smiled as he rolled up next to her, and they exchanged 'good morning' kisses on the cheek. He then took a deep breath and said, "This smells absolutely divine. Why did you never tell me you could cook like this before?" "I thought you already knew." His laugh was muffled as he took a bite of omelet and swallowed. Once his mouth was no longer full, he said, "Talent, or rather, a person's belief in their talent can be, well…exaggerated shall we say? Personal opinions can alter how the mind is read." "She smiled at the comment. After a few quiet minutes, Hank took a second glass of orange juice and said he was going back to the lab. As he left, he looked over his shoulder, saying, "Later, Charles." He then tilted his head towards Amanda. "Lady X."

Once he was out of earshot, she said, "I guess that's my codename now. So weird…I'd never thought about picking one before this point." "Well, it's certainly fitting, given how I introduced you when you first came here." Amanda smiled. "I feel kind of bad for Hank sometimes. Seems like he never leaves the lab, except to eat or go to bed. I know he teaches some classes here, but it still feels like a life of isolation." "He likes it. He says keeping himself constantly busy helps the day go by faster." After their meals were finished and the dishes were washed, Charles wiggled his fingers next to his left temple, the question silently passing between them. His sister nodded her consent without hesitation.

"It's a very sweet thing you're planning for Erik. A birthday party will be a great uplifting experience, especially for him." "How did you—I was projecting again, wasn't I?" When he chuckled under his breath, she 'said', "I'll do my best. It's really the least I can do for him. Once Raven told me it was Thursday, I knew I couldn't let it go by without any sort of acknowledgement." Charles broke their mental connection, reaching over and gently grasping her hand as he said softly, "I told you before that your loving heart did you credit." She rubbed her thumb affectionately over his knuckles, replying, "You're not worried I'll give you a run for your money?" She giggled when he made a funny face.

After another couple of minutes, Amanda said, "I'm going to miss you, Charlie." "Don't worry about it. I'll only be gone for two days. I'm taking Alex with me. He's always claimed to be envious of my heritage, and he's been hoping for a full English experience." "Right. The only English experience he _really_ wants is to kiss as many girls there as possible. He probably thinks they'll find him exotic or something." Charles said, "Well, I know it's been tense between you two lately, and I thought this trip would cool things off." She sighed. "I guess I can understand why he's been acting this way, even though the way he's been trying to win me over is wrong. Having a crush on someone, coupled with envy, can definitely make you do crazy things. Given some time, though, I think he'll come around." "We can only hope." They tapped their mugs together in a silent toast.

A couple of hours later, about a quarter of the mansion community were gathered by the fountain in the front yard, waiting for the limo that would take Charles and Alex to the airport. The rest were either still in the cafeteria, or waiting early in their classrooms, probably playing last-minute catch-up on some homework. Amanda had thrown a dark blue pullover sweater over her pajamas to keep out the morning chill. Although she knew her brother would be back by at least Tuesday night, late the following morning in there were problems, it still felt surreal to think this would be the first time they'd be apart since meeting. Charles glanced sideways at her and flashed a knowing half-smile, his classic grin that seemed to make everyone else's problems disappear.

Amanda then noticed another set of eyes watching her, though these looked significantly sadder. She did feel sorry for Alex, but he had to understand the way things were going to be working. She did care about him, and she'd always be there if he ever needed her, but it wasn't a romantic thing at all. He was only sixteen, soon to be seventeen. She knew he'd have plenty of time to find someone. And who knows? Maybe, if he didn't act too jerky or cheesy with his pickup lines, he might find that special lucky lady on this trip. She gave him a tiny smile and mouthed the word "hey". He did the same and waved.

She watched as Raven, who was in her basic blond form, knelt down next to Charles, obviously asking a question. Curious, she narrowed her eyes in an attempt to read their lips and see what they were saying. She wasn't paying attention as a tall shadow overtook her own. Suddenly, a voice whispered in her ear, "Who's being nosy now?" "She nearly jumped out of her skin, until she heard the purring chuckle behind her. She was happy to see Erik there, but she concealed that by rolling her eyes and playfully smacking his arm. "Don't _do_ that. You _scared_ me." She briefly flicked her eyes sideways, grateful that Charles wasn't paying attention. The metal-bender next to her was still laughing under his breath at her discomfort, but her annoyance at this melted away when he gentle squeezed her shoulder with his left hand. Remembering her sister's advice, Amanda put her hand over his and gave it a quick pat. His index finger grazed her jaw, before he removed his hand.

All too soon, the limo arrived. Charles didn't want the real purpose of the school exposed, so certain mutants had to either be concealed or stand much further back. That's why Raven was in her human form, and Azazel was standing in the mansion doorway. His red skin was covered up by a hooded sweatshirt, jeans, a baseball cap, and large sunglasses. His hands were easily mistaken for gloves. It may've looked slightly ridiculous, but it was far better than giving the poor limo driver a heart-attack. Amanda could sense Erik analyzing the situation. She heard the frustrated growl he gave under his breath, and she sent a pulse of calming energy to relax him. Once that was done, she returned her attention to the teleporter. She worried that Azazel felt confined in those clothes, cramped because his tail was hidden in the jeans, but he dispelled that idea when he winked at her. She also knew it must've been tough for him to just stand there and now use his gift, when it would've been so helpful in loading Charles's and Alex's luggage in the car.

As Amanda watched the driver get out of the limo and help with said luggage, Erik softly told her, "That sweater looks lovely on you. I think it brings out your eyes." She briefly forgot herself and blushed, knowing this was the second time he'd complimented her fashion sense. Recovering quickly, she replied, "Well, you're the one with blue eyes, so I think it would work much better on you." "Thank you very much, but…I don't wear women's clothing." "That's not what Charlie told me." Erik cringed. He'd hoped that incident, though it was technically an illusion, would never be mentioned again.

Amanda gave herself an inward pat on the back, congratulating herself on making Erik the one to feel uncomfortable for once. He said, "Hey, that was _one_ time, and it wasn't even _real_. It was a _trick_ Charles used when we were recruiting Angel. You _know_ that." She shrugged her shoulders. "Still counts in my book." "No, it doesn't." A familiar voice suddenly interrupted them, 'saying' in his mind, "You never looked more beautiful, darling." Amanda giggled at the image her brother then sent her: Erik in a sparkly sky-blue party dress and a red wig, but still wearing his socks and dress shoes, a half-empty martini glass in his left hand. Seeing the amused expression on the siblings' faces, the metal-bender pointed directly at Charles and mumbled, "Don't start." The telepath's eyes twinkled with mischief, his shoulders trembling as he tried to hold in his laughter. He saw Erik's eyebrows twitch up, a secondary warning he took to heart. By this point, it was now time for him to leave.

The girls each gave their brother tender hugs, though the empath was much more reluctant to let him go. Raven gave Alex a high-five, and Amanda gave him a quick hug. She told him, "Don't cause _too_ much trouble." "I'll try my best." "I wasn't just talking about _you_." "Hey now, I'm not _that_ bad", said Charles. She giggled and ruffled his hair, giving another quick kiss to the top of his head and whispering a final good-bye. Both he and Alex waved as the limo began to pull away. Some in the crowd began going back inside, but Amanda wanted to wait until the last possible second. She sighed once the car was completely out of sight, before suddenly feeling an arm stretch around her, a hand settling on her right shoulder. She looked up at Erik with a smile. "I know that look. What are you planning?" "This time, it's definitely for _me_ to know and _you_ to find out…tonight, in fact." She looked confused, so he told her, "Save you energy today. I want to take you somewhere special later." He then pivoted on his heel and began walking back inside the mansion. Amanda couldn't wait to see what his plan was. She had a feeling that she was going to like it.

While she'd become a favorite of many of the students, little Ororo Munroe, "Rory" as Amanda called her, was the one to whom she was closest. The platinum-haired eight-year-old was extremely spunky and confident, and there was every reason to believe she'd eventually follow through on her promise to one day join the team. If she sensed the older girl was having a difficult day, she'd use her gift to create miniature cloud formations in fancy shapes, knowing they'd make her smile. There was only a year's difference that separated Amanda and Raven, but the relationship between her and Rory definitely felt more like the stereotypical big sister/little sister. They'd often joke about that: "I bet you'll be much taller than me one day. I'll probably have to stretch on my tip-toes in order to hug you." "I hope so. All the boys here tease me because I'm short." Neither noticed Erik appear in the doorway to Hank's lab. His soft chuckle was what finally drew their attention. He said, "I'm sure you'll be quite a force to be reckoned with soon enough, and they'll never bother you again."

When their eyes met his, he continued, "In fact, I'd wager that one day, even _I'll_ have a hard time keeping up with you." He didn't know how true those words would eventually come to be. Rory smiled at him and giggled, shyly ducking behind Amanda's legs. Erik stretched his neck down a bit, pointed at her, and said, "Living well is the best revenge, young one. Remember that." "What do _you_ know of revenge, Erik?" He smiled at seeing Amanda's raised eyebrows, also hearing the challenging tone in her voice. "I know plenty, Lady X. Trust me." "Lady X? You heard about that?" "I told you once already that Charles isn't the only one here who sees, hears, and knows everything. And now that he's gone for a while…" "What are you saying?" He shrugged, playing innocent. "All I'm saying is that while the cat is away…the mice will indeed play." He winked at her before walking away. She grabbed a nearby chair, her nails digging into it as she tried to fight the blush that was blooming in her cheeks.

When he was completely gone, Rory looked over her shoulder and said, "He likes you. I can tell." "How?" "Well, when I was really little, my mommy said a boy will only say those kinds of things when he likes you. It means he wants to get your attention." "Hm. That's an interesting theory, Miss Munroe. I'll have to test it out someday. But…you know, a certain special day is coming up, where _Erik_ will be the center of attention. I don't know if he'll like it, though." "What is it?" Amanda's voice dropped as she replied, "His birthday is on Thursday."

"Why wouldn't he like to get attention on his birthday? That's when you're _supposed_ to." "I know, but I guess that Erik just doesn't like parties very much." "Well, we'll just prove to him it's not so bad. We'll make it a surprise, so he can't complain ahead of time." Amanda had to giggle at the girl's logic. She said, "That's a great idea. We'll bake a cake for him, and even some muffins, too. We'll have punch and music, and we'll sing to him as he blows out the candles." "Yeah! And we'll give him presents, too, lots of presents." She was getting so enthusiastic, that the older girl had to use her gift to calm the child down. "Shh, sweetie. Remember, you said you wanted it to be a surprise. We can't surprise him if he hears us talking about it." "Okay. So, what are you going to get him?" "I don't know. I haven't decided yet. I was planning on going shopping for a gift today." "Pick something nice, something that will make him smile. I love these kinds of secrets. These are the good kind." "Yes…yes, they are, Rory."

It was around lunchtime before Amanda was finally able to get out of the mansion. Borrowing one of her brother's cars, her first stop was the grocery store. Strawberries and chocolate were a great flavor combination, so she bought strawberry-flavored cake mix, as well as two containers of chocolate frosting. The second one was for the muffins she planned to bake. She also bought some bags of chips and pretzels, two jugs of fruit punch, some lemonade mix, and two bottles of soda, one cola and one root beer. Once that was over, she sat in the parking lot, thinking over what gift to buy. She knew she wanted to pick something Erik would love, but she didn't know what that would be. Groaning in frustration, she rested her head against her car's window.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a jewelry store on a corner across the street. Would Erik like a piece of jewelry? She knew most guys weren't big on it, so she was understandably nervous about choosing that option. Deciding to take a chance, Amanda left the grocery store parking lot and headed over there. It was relatively quiet when she went inside, with only three non-employees hanging around. The owner of a store, a kind-looking elderly woman, spotted her immediately.

Smiling, Amanda walked up to the front desk and said, "I'm looking to buy a birthday present for a close family friend." The woman, Mary-Anne, asked what kind of gift she had in mind. "I don't really know for sure. I've only known him personally for about three weeks, but he's my brother's best friend. I'm not sure if he's into this kind of thing, so I want to pick something special to win him over." After being led to a case that contained men's jewelry, she was asked, "Do you think he'd like a watch?" "He might, but he's got four of them already." Cufflinks were another possibility, but she knew Erik didn't wear suits all the time. Perhaps, she could get him an id bracelet? Amanda let out a heavy exhale of frustration. Mary-Anne was being nothing but patient with her. Her head dropped down into her hands as she leaned on the case. She was just about to give up, when a glimmer of something silver caught her eye.

Tucked in the back left-hand corner of the case, almost hidden from sight, was a Star of David pendant. Her eyes slowly widened. It was perfect. Before his gift had manifested, Erik and his family, along with countless others, had been persecuted for their religious beliefs. It would be a nice reminder of the good times, all the happy memories made before the trouble came. To top it all off, the center was lined with sapphires, which was the birthstone for September. Mary-Anne noticed the direction of her stare, the corner of her mouth twitching up in a knowing half-smile. "I take it that your friend is Jewish, then?" "Yes, he is." "What's his name, if I may ask?" "Erik." As she went over to the necklace and took it out of the case, she said, "Well then, I'm sure Erik will like this very much."

It was then that Amanda noticed the slight accent in Mary-Anne's voice, likely an Eastern European one. Continuing the line of their conversation, she said, "Yeah, I hope so. It's kind of become a symbol for him. He's been through a lot because of what it represents, but he's not ashamed of it…know what I mean?" A glazed-over look came over Mary-Anne's eyes. "Yes, dear…I'm afraid I very much know what you mean." She then turned over her arm and tugged on her shirtsleeve, pulling it up to reveal a very familiar mark. Everything suddenly made sense. This woman was a concentration camp survivor, just like Erik.

Tears welled up in Amanda's eyes, and she instantly grabbed Mary-Anne's hands, saying how sorry she was. "It's alright now. Those men will have to face God for what they did, if they haven't already. My husband, Robert, and I managed to escape once we knew the Allies were on their way. Everything we went through, though terrible, made us stronger human beings. It made us who we are today. We are each given a gift in life. This young man that you care for, his gift is the strength he gained despite whatever those animals forced him to endure, and the even greater strength I know he'll get from you." As Amanda was about to leave, she hugged Mary-Anne, making a mental note to one day bring Erik here to introduce them.

Once Amanda got back to the mansion, it became a race against time to safely hide everything she'd bought in order to keep her secret. She hid the food in a cooler in Hank's lab. She was placing the necklace in her top drawer, when she looked up and saw Emma in her doorway. Swallowing hard, she said, "Um…hi." "Hey there, sugar." "How long have you been standing there?" "Long enough to see someone's being sneaky. Don't look so scared, though. I won't breathe a word. You know me well enough to know I like getting presents, so I'd never begrudge another person for having that same experience. Oh, and don't worry about any interruptions to your special evening, either. I'll be preoccupied with my own date tonight." "So, you found some poor, unwitting man to lure into your web. Nice." When Emma giggled and took a mock-bow, Amanda told her, "And secondly, this isn't a date." "Trust me, honey, it's a date. _He's_ taking _you_, which therefore means he's paying. That's what makes it a date." "How do you know he's not just being nice?" The blond woman rolled her eyes, making a "Really"-type face. Just as she was about to leave, she looked over her shoulder and said, "The party thing's a nice idea." "Evil _and_ smart." "Embrace it. Fear it." Amanda laughed as she watched her disappear.

As she sat back down on her bed, the next big question was what she'd wear tonight. It had to be important, if Erik truly did consider this a date, as Emma claimed. Amanda recalled her sister's advice about showing off her body a little bit more, hoping to get his attention. Raven had told her, "Don't be trashy or anything, but just be a little more confident. Show him there's a real woman under all that, one who doesn't run away from a man's flirtation. Being a little shy is okay, though. There always has to be a fine balance." Finding that balance, however, would be the big problem. How could she show off her body without looking like a hooker? She immediately jumped from her bed and went over to the shopping bags, digging through them to find the perfect outfit.

It took nearly half an hour to choose some clothes. Amanda found a pair of blue jeans, some black peep-toe heels, and a peace sign necklace. But the perfect top still eluded her. She did manage to find a glittery cherry-red halter top, but it was supposed to be a bit windy that night, and she didn't want to frighten any students still awake by then. Just then, something at the bottom of one of the bags caught her eye. It was a button-down white blouse, but the bottom half was missing. She smiled. It was perfect.

Once she was dressed, Amanda couldn't believe what she saw in front of the mirror. The heels added about two extra inches to her height, which would just barely make her eye-level with Erik. The jeans clung to her frame exactly where it counted most. Her hair was down, but pulled out of her face and made into a braid down the back. Her makeup was a little thicker than usual, but not thick enough to look clownish. However, it was the shirt that really drew Amanda's attention. "Whoa! Holy boobs" came out in a shocked whisper. They were by no means to the point of spilling out, but they just looked a little more…fluffed than normal. The white half-blouse was tied together directly underneath her chest, and her peace sign necklace sat directly between them. If she noticed, she could bet that Erik would notice, too. But she didn't want him to right away. Her eyes scanned her bedroom, eventually finding a windbreaker sticking out of her closet.

Amanda was zipping up the windbreaker, when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. "It's Angel. Magneto said he wanted to see you about something." "Okay. Tell him I'll be right there. Just making some last-minute fix-ups." "Got it." She listened to the girl's footsteps fade away, before turning to look out her window. The sun was going down, the sky turning a brilliant shade of orange. Had time really gone by that fast? A nervous sigh escaped her lips. Walking to the door, she placed her hand on the knob and said softly, "Here goes."

_**AN: So, here we go, their first real bit of alone time, away from the mansion. What do you think will happen? Oh, & I will be bringing Mary-Anne back some time in the future. I just haven't decided when yet, but I do want her & Erik to meet eventually. Sorry again for taking so long. I've got an issue w/ getting my college algebra textbook ordered, & I'm currently suffering from a stomach bug. Let me know if you're all enjoying this, okay? Thanks.**_


	12. A Date or Not?

**_AN: Sorry for the long wait, my people. College Algebra is driving me nuts, & my issues w/ Voc. Rehab certainly aren't helping. I've been distracted a lot, so thanks for being patient with me._**

**_"It's time to feel the rush, to push the dangerous. I'm gonna run right to, to the edge with you, where we can both fall over in love." - Lady Gaga's_  
"**_**Edge of Glory"**_

Amanda took the emergency elevator so she'd get downstairs quicker. It also lessened the chance of her high-heels causing her to trip. Her heart was pounding as the doors opened, leading her out into the kitchen. She walked to the entranceway slowly, peeking around the corner and seeing three mutants gathered near the front door. Raven and Riptide were there. She was glad they'd decided to include the tornado-maker in on their plans, but he was the last who'd know for now, provided that Emma actually kept her mouth shut. Riptide and Amanda rarely spoke at great length, so Charles wouldn't have a reason to want to search his mind. She stretched her neck a bit further and noticed that Erik was there, too. Her breathing hitched as she studied him.

He looked gorgeous in his tan pants and navy-blue polo shirt, but it was his black leather jacket that truly tied everything together. It made his eyes pop, and it added to the bad-boy aura he was giving off. "Snap out of it, Xavier! Snap out of it _now_", she thought. Amanda saw how Erik was looking up at the staircase, which meant he thought she was coming down that way. This was great. It was the perfect way to surprise him.

Once his back was turned, Amanda started walking down the hall. Raven spotted her, but she put a finger to her smiling lips, telling her sister to be quiet a little longer. She'd nearly closed the full distance, when Riptide glanced back and tapped Erik's shoulder, clearing his throat to announce her presence. A smile split the metal-bender's face as he turned around, making Amanda's knees turn to goo. She found herself, desperately wanting to trace those dimples and listen to the sound of his heartbeat, small but meaningful things many people take for granted. "Good. You're here", he said. For those watching, it was like observing a tennis match, seeing whose side of the court had the ball at that precise moment. He pointed to her windbreaker and told her, "You won't need that. It's not too terribly cold outside. Take it with you, though, just in case." She wanted to ask why he was wearing a jacket when she didn't have to, but she chalked it up to male vs. female fashion sense.

Sensing an opportunity, Amanda winked at Raven before saying, "Okay. No problem" as she took off her windbreaker. Once she had it completely off, she used to sleeves to tie it around her waist. But just because she was looking down, that didn't mean she didn't sense every jaw in the immediate vicinity drop. She almost giggled when she heard a slap, followed by Riptide's slight groan of pain and Raven's voice, saying, "Dude, that's my _sister._" When Amanda looked back up, she got a subtle thumbs-up from her sibling, but she nearly lost her calm expression when she saw the look on Erik's face.

The man seemed to have turned completely goggle-eyed, with one eye on her face, and the other…making a direct beeline for her chest. Both eyes also seemed to jut out a foot from his skull. Amanda almost rolled her own eyes at the humor of the situation. "Well, Ray said I had to get his attention. Mission accomplished", she thought. It was comical as she watched Erik try to compose himself. When he was finally able to get himself together, he said, "I'll…I'll assume you're ready to leave, so you'll need to put this on." He went over to a nearby table, surprising her as he threw her a motorcycle helmet. The confusion on her face was enough to make him smile again. "Are you serious", she asked. Erik held up a pair of keys and moved them in a circle. "I'm deadly serious. Unless, that is, you're afraid?" Tilting her chin in defiance, Amanda told him simply, "Never." "Well, come on, then. This night won't last forever." Amanda laughed, saying good-bye to the others with them as Erik grabbed his own helmet.

She watched him swing his legs over the bike, and she swallowed back a purr that image was pulling from the back of her mind. Erik flicked up the helmet's visor, his voice slightly muffled as he said, "Just so you know, you are officially in very deep trouble." As she put on her own helmet, Amanda replied, "Bring it on, Lehnsherr." She heard the soft throaty chuckle he made in response as she joined him on the bike. Her heart began racing again as she linked her arms around his waist, largely because she was able to feel his six-pack beneath his shirt. A shiver ran though each of them simultaneously. Trying to diffuse the sudden awkwardness, she cleared her throat and asked, "So, where did you get this thing?" "Charles. He had it fixed up, said he thought it fit my personality." Over his shoulder, her companion then asked, "Comfy back there?" "Are _you_ comfy up _there_?" Erik laughed again, mumbling under his breath, "Very much indeed, and this is just the beginning." He slammed his foot down and revved up the motor, and they took off into the night.

They drove for nearly an hour, making light conversation. Erik was being as cryptic as ever, never divulging where they were actually going, no matter how much Amanda tried to trick him into giving details. At one point, he even laughed and asked if nosiness was in the genes. He was rewarded for that with a light smack to his ribs. After they'd passed yet another intersection, she started noticing the lights from the buildings begin to change. They stopped being yellow or white, and started becoming more colorful. Honestly, it looked like a rainbow had exploded and shattered into a bazillion pieces. When Erik finally pulled into a specific parking lot, Amanda realized what his plan was. She said, "Um…you know…I'm not normally a night club kind of girl."

They climbed off the bike. As Erik took off his helmet, he told her, "I do know that. However, I also think you need to get out more. Ever since you met Charles, you've locked yourself inside this invisible tower. You've been in their so long, you've practically forgotten the way to the exit." Amanda took off her own helmet and shook her hair back into place. "Erik, he's my _brother_. You _know_ what happened in my family before this point. He and Raven are practically the only relatives I have who actually _care_." He hooked his thumbs into his pockets and briefly looked away, letting go a sigh. He'd spoken similar words to those, but with much more serious tones and reasons behind them. It wasn't fair for her to go through that, too. He muttered under his breath, "That's where you're wrong?" "What?" He turned back to her and told her in a slightly-louder voice, "I said you're _wrong_. Your siblings are _not_ the only people who care about you." Amanda's breath hitched in her throat. Could he really mean what she hoped he did?

Feeling a sudden, rare bit of nervousness, he briefly looked at the ground and scratched the side of his nose. After a minute of awkward silence, he said, "Look, I understand you love them. I really do. But you've got to learn to see the world beyond the mansion's walls. Dedication to the school is one thing, but all work and no play equal a very boring, unfulfilled life. I'm sure Charles would agree with me, if he were here." Amanda giggled and said, "Yeah, I know what you mean. I wonder what he and Alex are doing over in England right now." Erik smiled. "Oh, I don't know. Probably the same thing we're doing." "And what _is_ that, exactly?" Her companion raised an eyebrow, a smirk teasing at the corner of his mouth as he replied, "Well, I don't know about _you_, but _I'm_ going inside to get a drink. If it truly bothers you that much, you can stay out here and guard the bike." Amanda rolled her eyes, giggling a second time. "Get real. You know perfectly well I'm not staying outside, in an unfamiliar neighborhood, _in the dark_…all for the purpose of protecting a motorcycle." Erik laughed. "Come on, then", he said, holding out his right arm. She placed her hand in its now-familiar spot in the crook of his elbow. She was filled with slight trepidation as Erik paid their way into the club.

The music was pounding, and the walls seemed to move with how many people were there. It was like walking into a living kaleidoscope. Amanda sighed. She knew that she was safe anywhere as long as she was with Erik, but this place was still so incredibly alien to her. When he noticed how her eyes kept flicking from side-to-side, he chuckled under his breath, leaning close to her ear and saying, "Don't be so jittery. We're here to have a good time." She turned to face him directly, echoing his smile as the arm she'd been clinging on slid down around her waist. She sighed in contentment when she felt a protective tug at a spot just above her hip. Erik said, "Let's go find a place to sit down, okay?" "Okay."

As they took their seats at the bar, Erik made a gesture to the bartender, a heavy-set Latin man, indicating for him to come over. "Two vodka martinis, please." Glancing back, he asked if that was okay with her, and she nodded that it was. The bartender then proceeded to mix their drinks, saying, "Right away, Erik my man." Amanda's eyes popped. "My man? Erik, you've been here before?" He smiled and said, "Of course, I have, several times in fact. This place was one of my favorite haunts when we first came to Westchester." She started giggling. "And to think, you said _Charlie_ had a problem with booze." "I didn't say that. I simply offered a trade-off with him. However, we seem to have reached an impasse on that matter." He winked at her as he took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a couple of puffs. He was careful to tilt away from the girl beside him, making sure that the smoke didn't get blown in her face.

As she watched him smoke, Amanda said, "Still…that's kind of a double-standard, don't you think?" "No, I don't think so at all." "You know…I never pegged you for a martini kind of guy." "Hey, I can be classy." After a third puff and exhale, Erik looked back at her and said, "It's a good thing Ricardo knows me. He gives me a discount every time." To prove his point, he glanced over his shoulder and waved at the man mixing their drinks. Ricardo gave a tiny smile and a quick wave back. Their drinks were brought to them about five minutes later. As the glasses were set in front of them, he asked, "So, Erik…who's your little lady-friend here?" He gestured at Amanda, who smiled shyly as a faint blush came to her cheeks. "You're _absolutely_ right. Where _are_ my manners? Ric…this is Amanda Xavier."

The way he spoke about her, with such reverence…it was as if he was presenting his friend to a royal. It felt a bit overwhelming, yet immensely flattering at the same time. "Xavier? Hey, you related to the rich guy who runs that big, fancy school on the outside of town?" "Yes, I am. That's my older brother." "I bet he takes real good care of you, huh?" Amanda giggled and nodded. "He does. Our family is…a little bit complicated. We've been apart a long time, but that doesn't matter to Charlie." "That's a good thing, little missy. How a man treats the women in his family says a lot about how he'll one day treat his wife." Ricardo then excused himself, leaving to help another customer.

As he walked away, she said, "He seems like a nice guy. What he said was funny, too. I'm sure that Charlie will get married _someday_, but I just can't picture that for him right _now_. He's got too much going on at this point to even _think_ about bringing a _wife_ into the mix. It wouldn't be fair to her, and he knows it." Erik made an 'mm'-type noise as he took another puff on his cigarette, mumbling, "But in the meantime…" "I know what you're going to say. Raven told me all about his…escapades. It was a tiny bit unsettling, to say the least." He laughed and said, "I'm sure it was. But speaking of the booze issue you mentioned earlier, I need to ask you something." He paused before continuing, "Which are you more concerned about, hmm? Your brother's _liver_, or my _lungs_?" Amanda tapped her chin and replied with a sneaky smile, "I don't know. It's a trade-off. I seem to have reached an impasse on the matter."

Smiling and shaking his head, Erik then turned his attention to the center of the room, where everyone seemed to be having a good time moving to the music. Flicking his eyes sideways at Amanda, he playfully bounced his eyebrows and suddenly stood up, before throwing his jacket off and flinging it over the back of his chair. "Erik…what…?" He held up his hand and motioned for her to follow him. Her mouth dropped open slightly when she realized what he meant. "Oh, no. No, no, no." "Oh, yes, yes, yes." He then grabbed her wrist and said, "Let's dance." Amanda was terrified. A waltz was one thing. It had such easy steps to follow, that anyone could do it. This place was a world apart from the ball last night. There was little she could do, though, except follow Erik. Not giving her much time to react, he gently dragged her into the center of the dance-floor.

Feeling swallowed by the crowd, Amanda tried her best to go along with the other dancers. She glanced around the room. A lot of them were jumping, so she tried bending her knees a bit and following suit. A couple of people were snapping their heads from side-to-side, too. That move seemed like a no-brainer, until she actually tried it. She'd forgotten that her hair was down, and when she turned her head, said hair flew out like a sideways fan. She didn't even know that had happened, until she heard Erik make a strange spitting noise. He mumbled her name, and when she turned to ask what was wrong, she blushed hotly in pure embarrassment.

Erik was picking several strands of her hair out of his mouth, making noises that sounded like, "Ptha. Ptha. Puh." "Oh gosh, I'm so sorry. I told you I was bad at this kind of thing." She reached up and managed to pry the remaining bits of hair from his mouth, trying in vain not to giggle at her own foolishness. Judging by the expression on his face, she knew Erik was having the same problem. His lips were clamped so tightly together, that it had to be hurting. He'd become unsteady on his feet, his body trembling with barely held-in laughter. Amanda groaned and smacked her hand against her forehead, saying, "This is _so_ embarrassing." Erik grabbed her hands and said, "No, no, it's alright. It really is alright. L-Look at me." Once he had attention, he told her, "I know you're nervous. You're trying to impress me, but you don't have to. If the dancing is worrying you that much, just do what I do, okay? I'll protect you. I'm here."

Protect? Her head tilted slightly to the left in confusion. His hands slid around, linking between her shoulder-blades. He leaned in and said in a soft tone, "I'm here." Amanda didn't know whether to smile, blush, or get choked up. So, she ended up doing a little bit of all three. Of its own accord, her right hand strayed up and gripped his shirt collar. She replied, "As long as you _stay_ here." She felt the tip of his thumb brush her spine, the corners of his mouth twitching up in a barely-there smile.

The rest of the evening progressed in a much happier mood. Amanda and Erik each had another martini, though since he was driving them home, that's where Erik stopped. Not Amanda, though. Granted, she didn't indulge too much, but she did indulge. After her second martini came a wine cooler, which was then followed by two shots of amaretto. He didn't want her to have a massive hangover in the morning, so after that, he only allowed her to order ice-water with lemon. She wasn't full-on drunk by any standard, but she did have a very pleasant, giggly buzz going. She couldn't stop laughing or smiling, no matter what was going on around her. In truth, it was one of the first times she'd found something to laugh at that wasn't mansion-related. In this particular case, Erik was right. She really did need to get out more.

Speaking of the metal-bender, he was all too happy to lead her back out to the dance-floor, time and time again. It had turned out to be one of the best times he'd had in a long while. He'd almost forgotten what this felt like, to let completely loose and just have fun. He was sure to have a pulled muscle in his neck come morning, since he kept throwing his head back and laughing, but he surprised himself by not caring. Amanda was the same way. But as awesome of a time as she was having, she was grateful that what turned out to be their final dance was a slow one. Like clockwork, she followed Erik the center of the crowd, smiling when she heard Elvis Presley's "Now or Never" begin to play over the loudspeakers. This particular artist seemed to have become a common thread between them, a tie that linked many of the good times they'd had so far. For a brief second, she wondered what it would be like if she ever got the chance to tell the singer that.

However, any other trains of thought were banished from her mind when Erik moved his right hand to the small of her back, taking _her_ right hand into his left one. He looked down at her with a smile and asked, "Have a good time tonight?" The way his accent flowed around that last syllable made her breath hitch. She answered softly, "Yes. This has been amazing. Thank you so much." "No thanks necessary, Lady X. The pleasure was all mine." Unbidden, a giggle escaped her lips. She loved it when he spoke so formally, especially when the look on his face during that was a mix of playful and naughty. It always seemed funny, but sweet at the same time.

She was so relaxed with him at that moment, she didn't bother to fight the reflexive lean-in. The top of her head pressed gently against Erik's chest. The smile never left her face, which grew even bigger when he let go of her right hand, his left one coming to rest on a spot between her shoulder-blades. It felt like he wanted to hug her, though she didn't know why. And unless her ears betrayed her, she could've sworn she heard him sniffle back a tear. Was he remembering something from his past, or was it somehow because of her? Either way, Amanda's response to it came natural. She moved her arms and linked them around his waist, squeezing with the lightest possible pressure. A simple, continuous 'shh' escaped her. She didn't know what she was doing or why, but it certainly did the proverbial trick.

Amanda felt a shift in the atmosphere around them, knowing that it Erik must be smiling again. She also sensed him searching around the room, staring at the other dancers, but she didn't know why. Out of nowhere, he said, "Put your hands on my shoulders." "What?" "You heard me. Put your hands on my shoulders. I don't bite…much." He winked at her and snapped his teeth. The giggle she gave in response helped force back the noise she really wanted to make: an embarrassing squeak of attraction. She did as he asked, not questioning why. Erik then put his own hands on her waist, and before Amanda knew it, her feet were no longer on the ground. She squealed in surprise as his arms suddenly wrapped even tighter, lifting her up and spinning her.

As she whooshed around, she took notice of the crowd, and she realized that other people were doing the same moves as them. Erik moved her a second time, making both of them burst out laughing. Amanda shouted in joy. That was so much fun. They were still laughing as Erik moved to spin her a third time, but his arms had grown too tired by then, and his grip on her waist weakened slightly. He almost dropped her, but his quick reflexes made him catch her before completely letting go. Amanda let out a short shriek of fear, but she was instantly soothed by him saying, "It's alright. I've got you." She was breathing a bit heavy as she turned her head to thank him. But when she did, all coherent thought went out the proverbial window.

Her feet still hovered just about two inches above Erik's own feet, her hands giving her an extra bit of lift from their positions on his shoulders. He released his grip very slowly, making her slide down gently instead of dropping fast and getting hurt. He stopped though, when the tips of her toes were just barely touching the floor. Her shoes were beginning to fall off, and she had to wiggle her feet to keep that from happening. The pair was nearly nose-to-nose, his face close enough to block out her vision of everything else. Her right hand lowered slightly and gripped his upper left arm. She saw the vein on the side of his neck pulsing, and she knew her own heart was racing just as fast. She didn't know if it was caused by the heat of the moment, the once-more pounding music, or the alcohol in their systems.

Amanda's nerves were rapidly getting the better of her, causing her to nibble at her bottom lip. It was all Erik could do not to groan when she did that. This girl was really trying his willpower, and she had no idea. Or so he thought. The uncertain shyness in her eyes made him imagine his own teeth on her lip, along with the sounds she'd make as he did it. His heart was nearly pounding out of his chest, and it sent a certain kind of jolt down his body. A bit embarrassed, he tried to subtly move his lower half away, so his partner wouldn't feel the physical proof of that reaction. Unfortunately as he did so, Amanda tilted with him. He accidentally bumped the upper part of one of her legs, and her eyes grew wide. He knew why without asking, and so did she. Breathless, she said softly, "Crazy. This is too crazy." Erik swallowed hard to rein himself in, replying, "I've lived with crazy." "Yes, I'll bet you have." Her sarcasm made him smile, but that quickly faded when he glanced over her shoulder and spotted a nearby clock.

It was a little after midnight. He had to get her home, the thought making him sigh. His shoulders slumped as he finally lowered her down. His hands went back to just above her hips, while hers came to rest at the same spot on him. Amanda asked him what was wrong. He answered by simply jerking his chin at the clock. She followed the direction of his stare, a soft whine escaping her lips when she saw the time. "Guess the carriage has to become a pumpkin again, huh?" "This, coming from the girl who keeps denying she's a princess?" Well, after all…it's much easier to feel like a princess when somebody keeps treating you like one…and you're grateful to them for it." Now, it was Erik's turn to be shocked, Amanda suddenly realizing how she sounded. Her voice…holy cow, she just flirted! And she wasn't even trying to! His soft, purring chuckle reached her ears. "Well, well, isn't _someone_ feeling bold." Swallowing hard, she forced a smile and shrugged, saying, "Go figure. Seems like that kind of a night." "Yes, it does." It was then that they realized they were still holding on to each other, and they immediately pulled apart.

There was a sharp whistle to their side: Ricardo smiling and waving as he called Erik back over to the bar. "One second, okay", the metal-bender said, "I have to go see what he wants. Be right back." "No problem." She tried listening in, without looking like she was. However, with all the noise, the only four words she managed to hear were "why", "didn't", "keys", and "food". That made no sense whatsoever. All she could see was Erik, shrugging his shoulder. He then clapped Ricardo on the shoulder and walked back to her side, throwing his jacket back on in the process. He winked at her and said, "Come on. Let's get out of here." When she nodded her agreement, he put his arm around her and led her out of the club.

As they walked back to the motorcycle, Amanda said, "I thought you hated normal humans." Erik pressed his lips together in consideration of her words, replying, "That one's growing on me." "What about the rest of them? I'm sure there are more humans out there who are just as nice." "You sound so much like Charles right now. He said pretty much the same thing about that CIA girl he fancied." "You mean Moira McTaggert." "Yes. I agreed with him that _she_ was okay, but he didn't seem willing to accept how exceedingly rare of a commodity she was. He hasn't changed."

They stopped and sat down on a bench directly across from the bike. Another minute went by before Amanda said, "True, I _am_ like my brother in many ways, but not all. I'm not as ignorant of the issue as many we know believe me to be. I know your respective opinions. Charlie wants to integrate with humans, and you want to wipe them out. I'm not going to pass judgment, though, since I understand the reasons why those are your chosen viewpoints." She took a deep breath before continuing, "What I _don't_ understand, however, is why you're so willing to sacrifice the whole human race for being evil, when there are several people out there who are the exact opposite of that. Why make everyone suffer, when not all of them are responsible for the problem?"

Erik took a deep breath. At least, she wasn't totally dismissing his plans. She was merely confused and curious. She was trying to play the diplomat. In a way, he was proud of her for that. It was a skill a couple members of his team were sorely lacking. He shifted around to look at her directly and said. "Because…because a couple of good apples don't change the fact that the whole bunch is rotten. You're a very learned, fiercely intelligent woman, Amanda. You've seen what's been happening to the world around us. Humans are a very destructive race. They find great joy in creating new things, but once they're bored, they tear it apart and move on to something else. Eventually, they'll do the same to us as well, mark my words. It was their experiments with atomic energy that created us. Now that they know we exist, we're all destined to become their lab rats. If we don't act fast, before they have the chance to…well, the consequences just don't bear thinking about." Amanda put her hand on his shoulder, asking, "What do you mean? What doesn't bear thinking about?"

He reached back and affectionately patted her knuckles, giving a small smile as he replied, "Amanda…it's much easier to keep someone in line if they fear what you're capable of. They're less likely to come after you if they're too busy, watching their own backs. Do you understand?" She gave a quick, tiny nod as she turned her head away. She didn't want him to see the pained look in her eyes, or the way her lower lips was quivering as she tried to hold back tears.

Gosh, she felt so sorry for him. He was talking like the abuse victim he was. The world had hurt him, so he was going to hurt it right back. It was actually quite sad, to be honest. He thought she was merely being a neutral party, but that wasn't true. Amanda was very much in-tune with her brother's point of view regarding humanity. Integration, if and when it eventually happened, would have to be done extremely slowly and delicately. This way, there was less of a chance that either mutants or normal humans would be damaged. Erik's attitudes reminded her of a quote she'd heard in college, during her World History class. It came from a Roman emperor named Caligula: "Let them hate, so long as they fear me." Her companion was all about issues being only black-and-white, while she and Charles lived in the ever-complex grey areas.

After another couple of quiet minutes, Erik was starting to get a bit antsy. Clearly, the empath had much more she wanted to say, but it was taking a while for her to formulate how to say it. His knee began to bounce as he asked, "So…anything else going on in that lovely little mind of yours?" Amanda flashed a tiny sideways smile, before turning back to him and saying, "Actually, there is. There's a certain question, one I'll probably end up asking my sister, too, at some point. I need you to tell me something." "Well, that depends on what it is." "Let's put things in perspective for a minute, Erik. What if I didn't have any powers? Would you have reacted differently to me when we first met?"

When she saw how confused her question had made him, she continued, "No, I'm serious. What if I were a so-called 'normal' person? Would you have hated me on-sight and wanted me dead, or would my family name have been enough to save me?" His hands immediately flew out and grabbed her shoulders. "Hey, don't…don't talk like that, alright?" His voice then grew a bit softer as he stroked the knuckles of his right hand along her cheekbone and jaw. He said again, "Please, don't talk like that."

She leaned into his touch, smiling slightly as her eyes closed half-way. Her right hand crossed around, gently grasping his wrist and the lower part of his hand. It never failed to amaze her how Erik could go from tough to tender in, quite literally, the blink of an eye. It's what made him such an interesting person to be around. They stayed in that same position for a minute, just enjoying each other's company. Then from the corner of his field of vision, Erik spotted a man checking his watch. His eyes suddenly grew wide, surprising Amanda. She asked him what was wrong, but he didn't respond. Instead, he motioned the man over and asked him what the time was. After getting his answer, he slapped his left hand against his forehead and said. "12:32…son of a-"

He stopped himself before the curse slipped out, choosing instead to whisper it in his native language, which he knew she didn't understand. Amanda giggled and took the hand that had touched her face in both her own. She said, "It's really okay. I'm a grown girl. I can be out as late as I want. I don't think Raven will worry too much, because she knows I'm safe with you. I _am_ safe with you, right?" "Debatable", he said, snapping his teeth a second time. This produced another giggle from her, and she rolled her eyes before then saying, "Besides…Charlie's not home." Erik laughed. "I thought you missed him." "Don't start. You know I miss him. In fact, I'm going to call him during breakfast tomorrow, just to check in on him and Alex." She stood up and walked over to the motorcycle, Erik following close behind. Just before putting on her helmet, she told him, "Let's go home." He smiled as he put his own helmet on. Finally, they got on the bike and began their drive back to the mansion.

As sad as she was to leave the club, Amanda still gave a huge sigh of contentment when she and Erik passed through the mansion gates. They parked the bike in the garage before heading inside. As they closed the front door behind them and locked it, Amanda said, "This was fun. I really enjoyed it." "Me, too." "But seriously, though…you were right, Erik. I _did_ need a little break." Putting on an expression of fake shock, he said, "Do me ears deceive me? Did you just say I was right?" Amanda giggled and poked him in the chest, saying, "Don't push your luck. I have to get to bed, and I can't do that if I'm annoyed. You don't want to see me, being bot annoyed _and_ sleep-deprived." "I have no doubt it would be quite explosive."

It was then that she realized her finger was still jabbed at the center of Erik's chest. He noticed it, too. Both his eyebrows and the corners of his mouth twitched up as he took that same hand and kissed the knuckles. Amanda finally dropped her guard, and her face turned candy apple-red. The man before her chuckled under his breath, flashing yet another toothy smile as he stood straight again and said, "I'll be training all day tomorrow. Lots of exercise…but you never know. I might take a break for a _swim_." His subtle hint and unspoken invitation didn't go unnoticed. A feeling of sneakiness creeping into her, Amanda curled a lock of hair around one finger. "Sounds like fun. If I have the time, I might stop by." "I look forward to it." They froze as they looked at each other, both bursting into laughter for some unknown reason. They were still laughing as they embraced in a tight hug. Amanda headed toward the kitchen to use the elevator. Just before she disappeared through the doorway, she looked back over her shoulder and waved to Erik, saying, "Thanks again for tonight. Sleep well." As he started walking up the stairs, he smiled and said the same to her.

It only took Amanda a short amount of time to change her clothes and wash off her makeup. But because she was so tired, it felt like an eternity. As she moved to close her bedroom door for the night, she spotted Riptide coming up the stairs, some kind of hot drink in his right hand. He flashed a tiny smile when he saw her, asking softly as he walked past how her date went. She rolled her eyes, smiling back as she replied, "For crying out loud, it wasn't a date. We went to a club to get out of the house. We were just hanging out." She was still giggling under her breath as she climbed into bed, repeatedly mumbling "Not a date" as sleep slowly claimed her.

_**AN: I was listening to "Edge of Glory" as I wrote their ride on the motorcycle. It seemed to fit the situation. I took the content of their bench conversation from 2 interviews by James & Michael easily found on YT. Oh, how you like Erik being such a gentleman over his..."reaction"? He's trying not to frighten her. But somehow...I don't think the word 'frightened' really describes Amanda in that situation. I'll leave figuring the rest of it up to you (giggle). As always, please be kind in your reviews.**_


	13. Play Time

**_AN: There's a bit of sisterly reassurance in this chapter. We meet a couple of the other students (Quinn looks like Taylor Lautner, by the way), Amanda & Erik have a close encounter in the gym, & she has some bonding moments w/ Angel & Riptide._**

The last thing Amanda wanted to do the next morning was get out of bed, given her headache and terribly achy feet, but she really didn't have a choice. She had to tell Hank the purpose of all that junk food in his lab coolers, anyway. After a quick rinse of her face with the coldest water her bathroom sink would allow, she pinned up her hair and threw on her bathrobe before heading downstairs to the kitchen.

Raven was already there, pouring a cup of coffee. The morphing girl turned around with a smile and said, "Morning. Feeling okay?" A slight groan of agreement was the response she got. When offered coffee, Amanda shrugged her shoulders and said, "Sure, if you've got enough to spare. Would you also happen to have either aspiring or a swift way of ending my life?" Raven giggled. "Guess it was a pretty wild night, huh?" "It wasn't too bad. I didn't do anything nuts, like dance on the bar or take off my shirt, thank goodness." "I bet Erik was really depressed over that." "Actually…we just couldn't stop laughing and dancing. It was awesome to take a break and let loose like that."

Over the next couple of quiet minutes, Amanda placed three slices of bread in the toaster, putting her favorite strawberry jam on each piece when they were done. When she hopped up backwards onto the counter, Raven handed her a steaming cup of coffee. After a couple of sips, she said, "We had a pretty deep discussion afterwards, too." "About what?" Amanda sighed. This was actually a question she'd been dreading for a while. Gearing up her courage, she asked, "Ray…what if things had been different when we met, like, if a really big issue had been changed?" "What do you mean?" "I mean what if I was normal? Would you have hated me if I didn't have any powers?" Raven slammed her now-empty mug against the counter and turned around, her eyes wide. "How on Earth could you ask that? _How_?" She put her hands on Amanda's shoulders. "I could _never_ hate you. It's just not possible. This is one thing you can't pick and choose. We're _sisters_." The empath held out the pinkie of her right hand, saying, "Sisters and proud." Raven smiled at the play on her life mantra. She linked their pinkies and repeated, "Sisters and proud."

Two much-desired aspirin, a glass of milk, and a shower later, Amanda was curled up in the corner of one of the converted classrooms. She watched Hank teach the twelve-to-fourteen-year-olds about pH level. Sometimes, it was hard for her to believe he was only two years her senior, since he often acted with a wisdom that seemed to stretch beyond that. It was a trait he shared with Charles. Both men often said she had it, too, but she was hesitant to believe them. As she glanced back and forth between Hank at the front of the class and the book she was reading, she was surprised to find herself applying its content to the lives of the people around her. _Jekyll & Hyde_ was about a scientist who, much like Victor Frankenstein, lost control of one of his creations. Only in this case, it was a mood-and-personality-altering serum. This ended up affecting him in a profound way. Hank could certainly relate to that point just by virtue of his physical appearance, and her brother often used quotes from the story as metaphors during his training of the younger mutants last year. However, the book also referred to someone who usually veered towards one of two emotional extremes, someone like Erik.

Amanda was resting her head on her fist as she thought about that, when speak of the devil, Erik walked past the room. He had a towel around his neck and his duffle bag in-hand, which meant he was going to the gym. He smiled at her and waved as he passed by, winking just before she did the same back. When he disappeared around the corner, she returned her attention to her book. Since the class ended soon after, she was only able to finish three more pages. Hank glanced over and gave her a tiny smile as he fixed the books and papers on his desk, making a gesture that meant he'd talk to her in a second. She traded hellos with every student as they left the room.

When Hank finally got everything organized, he walked over to Amanda and sat beside her. "So, what did you want to talk about?" "It's more of a question, actually. I'm sure you've noticed some new additions in one of your lab's coolers?" "Yeah, I did see that. I meant to ask you about it this morning, but I didn't have the time. What's it for?" She leaned closer to him and said softly in his ear, "Erik's birthday is this Thursday, and I'm planning a surprise party for him. It's why I bought all that food. I wanted to know if it was okay to keep the stuff there until then. If it's not, I'll move it somewhere else." "No, no, it's perfectly fine. I don't mind at all. I didn't even bother to touch it since I knew you probably had a good enough reason for putting it there." Amanda gave an inward sigh of relief. She was so worried he'd get upset with her for taking up space in his lab, and she was grateful he appreciated nice gestures like the one requiring the food. "I have such a packed day on Wednesday", she said, "Charlie's coming home, and I have to bake Erik's cake and the muffins ahead of time. I also have pre-mix the punch for the party. I'll need my strength." "You'll have it, Amanda. I don't doubt that." She giggled and replied, "Wish me luck and sanity, buddy."

A couple of hours later, Amanda was walking across the mansion grounds to a place that had become one of her favorite areas: the stable. She'd learned to ride at ten years old, and it was something she still enjoyed doing. She found it to be very soothing. Knowing something of her English heritage from an early age, she readily took up the challenge of learning a skill typically associated with the British Isles: riding sidesaddle. It required quick reflexes, good balance, and strong legs, which a love of soccer and hiking provided her. It could also be uncomfortable, though, so she'd taken to attaching a special piece of padding to the saddle whenever she'd ride.

Her favorite horse was a stunning blood-bay mare named Rebecca, from the Biblical woman beloved by Isaac at first sight. It reminded Amanda of her own personal 'love-at-first-sight' story. Like always, the horse was happy to see her. "Hey there, baby girl. Look, I brought you sugar cubes. Yes, I did. Yes, I did." It took less than ten minutes for her to fix Rebecca up for riding. As she was making some last-minute adjustments, she heard footsteps coming towards the stable.

A familiar caramel-colored head peeked around the corner saying, "I guess great minds really do think alike." Amanda turned her head, smiling when she the slimly-built thirteen-year-old girl standing there. Avery Rose had been sent to the school by her wealthy parents, who believed it was a finishing academy. Her huge doe-like eyes could charm just about anybody, as could her buoyant smile. Her gift involved morphing, like Raven's did, but she could only change into animals. "What's going on, Bambi? Are you playing hooky from class or something?" A giggle was followed by, "No. I have a free period. Q is in the lab with Dr. McCoy, discussing ideas for his next paper." 'Q' referred to her cousin, Quinn Fletcher, a muscular sixteen-year-old who was aqua-kinetic, meaning that he was gifted with the power to control water. He also happened to be one of Amanda's best friends. Like Avery, he had classic Native American looks.

As if on cue, the boy in question came jogging out of the mansion, waving his arm and calling out to his cousin, "I thought I'd find you two here! I was looking all over!" When Quinn final reached the stable, Amanda asked him if he'd settled on a paper topic. He told her, "Yeah. I really like snakes, so I thought I'd look into the different types of venom they have, and how it could possibly be used for medical purposes." "Nice. You'll have a lot of great information to play with. So…what brings you out here?" He smiled as he took off his backpack and reached into it, taking out three big water guns. "Like I said before, I figured where you guys would be, so I thought I'd make things interesting." When the cousins chose their own horses, Lightening and Cookie, the trio spent the next hour riding around the property, while trying to soak each other at the same time.

Amanda was getting a little tired from hanging out with her friends and the horses. Thinking it over, she decided to take Erik up on his offer to join him at the pool. She knew that most likely, he wouldn't be alone this time, but she was willing to risk that. It might actually help them both keep their emotions better in check. However, when she walked past the gym on her way to the staircase, she was surprised to find him there, instead. He was on his back on a bench, lifting weights, and his t-shirtsleeves were rolled up to expose his arms. Her heart raced just by looking at him, and her stomach kept flipping and clenching up. Bracing herself, she cleared her throat and tapped her knuckles twice on the door. "Can I come in?" Erik glanced up, smiling at her as he said, "Sure. I could use the company" and continued to work out.

Admittedly, it had been a while since Amanda had seen the inside of a proper gym, but she managed to find several machines she recognized. "So, um…I'm actually surprised to see you here. I thought you said you were going to the pool." "Disappointed?" "No. It's just good to see you, so I can thank you again about last night." He shook his head and replied, "I told you before, no thanks are necessary. I wanted to do something nice for you. You deserved it." She smiled, ruffling his hair as she walked past the bench he was on. Erik's breath hitched as she touched him, the graze of her fingertips still leaving a tiny, but oh so delightful burn on his scalp after she left. He had to think about hiking in Antarctica in only his boxer shorts, mentally forcing back the reaction that would surely have embarrassed him. He wouldn't have a repeat performance of what happened at the club.

Amanda walked over to a shelf that held several portable-sized weights. She picked ones that were twenty pounds each, before heading over to the treadmill. She heard a scraping sound on the carpet less than a couple of minutes later, followed by dead silence, she was secretly happy to see its cause: Erik, floating his weightlifting bench to be beside the treadmill. Once the bench was in place, he returned to exercising. Amanda giggled under her breath. He wanted to be closer to her. It was so adorable, thought she knew he'd hate the term. Erik didn't easily allow touchy-feely-ness to affect him, a product of his tortured upbringing. And even once he did finally get close to someone, he still didn't discuss it openly. He just did things without asking for comment. That fact made Amanda feel so special, in a way that she'd never felt with any other guy before. She thought to herself, "I don't know how to express how much I love him. I'm terrified of how to approach the subject, because I know he's used to pushing people away to avoid getting hurt." She then sighed and returned her attention to her workout, humming a soft classical tune under her breath.

Amanda was about to stop for a water break, when a whooshing sound suddenly echoed in the gym, and a cloud of red smoke appeared. That was followed by a male voice, speaking in a Russian accent. "Azazel, hi", she said. The red-skinned teleporter gave a respectful nod, replying simply, "Lady X. You look lovely today." "Thanks. That's very kind of you." Wait, was that…did Erik just growl? Was this jealousy, perhaps? A primal part of her hoped it was, and that part was currently doing a little happy-dance at the idea. Thank goodness that of the two telepaths in her life, one was too wrapped up in her own life currently to pay attention, and the other was 3,000 miles across the ocean.

Coming back to the moment, she said, "I've been hoping to talk to you. I was wondering if you could help my work on my gift." "May I ask how?" "Well, you know how I can also send out pain, along with pulses of relaxation?" When he nodded, she told him, "I thought it would be interesting to practice with a fast-moving target. After all, in a fight, my opponents won't be just standing there, waiting for me to attack them." A tiny smile of approval and admiration flickered in the corner of his mouth. He said, "You have a warrior's spirit. I'd be honored to help you train." Amanda heard Erik mumble the word 'training' under his breath. He lifted the weights back into place with a heavy exhale. He then sat up and rested his fists on his knees, saying, "You'd best be careful with that, Azazel. This girl packs a pretty mean punch." Amanda giggled. "I've got a mean backhand, too, or have you forgotten?" To demonstrate her point, she quickly snapped the back of her left-hand fingertips against the back of his head. "Ow! What did I ever do to you?"

All three of them laughed, and Azazel looked like he was about to leave. But just before doing so, he added, "Before I forget, your brother just called. He said that he and Havok are doing fine, and they should be back here by 9:30 Wednesday morning." "Thanks for telling me. I'll be sure to call Charlie back in the next couple of hours." "Good. And…if you want my advice, I don't thinking having a 'mean backhand' is the only thing you have to worry about. Certainly not in this room." Confused, Amanda asked, "And what else is?" He gave another tiny smile and said, "I'd be worried about the position of that bench." He winked at her, and he teleported away.

As she stared at the spot her friend had been standing in, Amanda mouthed Azazel's parting words in confusion: "the position of that bench". Then, she looked down, and she instantly realized what he was talking about. The bench Erik was sitting on was turned diagonally, the half holding the weights pointing towards the treadmill. It meant that while he'd been exercising, he'd had a pretty great view of her…oh he was in so much trouble! Feeling sneaky, she looked down and said, "Tell me, Erik, is there a German phrase that means 'shameless voyeur'?" He looked over his shoulder. "Why do you ask?" "I think you know perfectly well what I mean. I also think you should've taken a picture. They last longer, you know." A smirk flicked up at the left corner of his mouth. "You can't prove anything, princess." She just shook her head, starting to walk away and mumbling "my gosh" through giggles.

She was nearly half-way to the door when she heard him get up to follow her. He gently grabbed her left arm. Willing her heartbeat to slow, she softly told him, "Let go of me." She tried to pull away, but he spun her around to face him directly. Narrowing her eyes, she repeated, "Let go of me" He just smiled and replied, "As me nicely." Amanda got nose-to-nose with him. "Now." "I said _nicely_." She tried to pull back again, but his grip was too strong, and her squeal of frustration seemed to amuse him. He was teasing her. She knew it, and he knew that she knew. Unbidden, her right hand strayed up to grip the side of his neck.

"Erik…please let go of my arm." The tip of her thumb lightly brushed his jaw, making his heart skip a beat. Her voice lowered to a near-whisper as she said, "You're cutting off my circulation." "Sorry about that" came out in a slightly-embarrassed tone. All traces of playfulness and flirtation were gone…almost. Erik tenderly pushed a stray lock of her hair out of Amanda's face, feeling the softness of it between his fingers. "Um…w-we should probably get cleaned up and get to the kitchen. I think they're going to start making dinner soon." She felt the need to gulp for air, given how thick with tension the air around them had become. Sighing, Erik didn't know what else to do. He didn't like being this uncertain, this far away from his normal in-control state. So, he simply leaned in and placed a quick, gentle kiss on her forehead. She gave a breathless "thank you", and he told her it was no problem. After then saying, "I'll see you later", he walked out of the gym. As he did, he said under his breath, "That girl will by my undoing."

The next day was a bit tiresome for Amanda. After breakfast she spent most of her time fine-tuning her gift with Azazel. As she'd predicted, using her abilities on a moving target was more challenging, but she loved it. She grew better able to predict his movements and was able to get in a few very good attacks. Emma even joined them after a while. She dared the nearly-nineteen-year-old to see how many attacks she could make before the blond shifted to her diamond form. This lasted a while, too, and it was fun when Amanda was finally able to wipe the smug smirk off her face. It was nearly three-o-clock before they all decided to stop for the day. Amanda was giggling at the looks of exhaustion on both of their faces. She thanked them for being such troopers, and she promised to make them each their favorite desserts as a reward for their troubles.

After rinsing her hands and face in her bathroom sink, Amanda quickly threw a t-shirt on over her bathing suit and headed for the pool. As she got closer, the sounds on the other side of the door confirmed that Erik was, indeed, not alone. She slowly pushed the door open, smiling when she saw it was Angel and Riptide keeping him company. The shorter brunette was happy to see her, waving her over. They shared a hug once Amanda sat next to the pool, dangling her feet in the water.

Angel said jokingly, "Thank goodness, you're here. You have no idea what torture it was to sit here with just these two crazy guys." Erik raised an eyebrow. "Crazy, eh? I'll show you both crazy." Without warning, he grabbed Amanda's wrist and yanked her into the water. He watched in amusement as she spluttered to the surface, a mildly angry expression plastered on her face. The faint snickering of the two other people there was certainly not helping the situation. Trying to regain her temper, Amanda said, "Erik…you made me…soak through…my t-shirt!" "I see no problem with that." "Of course, _you_ don't. What _man_ would?" Pretending to be offended by her comment, he replied, "Hey, that's sexist. _That_…is _wrong_." She put her hands on her hips, a sneaky smile now having replaced her annoyed scowl. She asked, "Are we _really_ going to discuss gender stereotypes, especially given certain recent events?" Her eyebrow raised in challenge, to which he responded with a tiny smile and a quick shake of his head.

The tension was diffused by Angel's sudden cry of "Chicken fight" as she jumped in. The first round had her paired with Erik, and Amanda with Riptide. The game was a familiar one: the objective was to sit on the guys' shoulders and to try to push each other into the water. The second match had the pairings reversed, during which Amanda noticed how Erik kept gently squeezing her knee. Both matches ended up as draws, with all four people involved laughing hysterically. Once that was over, Angel came up with the idea of playing volleyball. They quickly obtained a ball and set up the net, deciding to make it boys-vs.-girls. But just as before, the game was left unfinished due to a laughing fit. At one point after that, Riptide gave a little demonstration of his ability, creating miniature tornados under the water. This was the first time Amanda had seen it up-close, and she was quick to voice how impressed she was.

Later on, after the guys had gone upstairs to clean up, the girls were dried off and drinking fruit punch in the kitchen. "So, are you happy that your big brother is coming home tomorrow?" "Yeah, totally. I miss Charlie a lot, even though it's only been two days." "I understand. You told me about your family life before this point, so, yeah, I get it." "I just worry about him, that's all. The kinds of problems he could be having with his paralysis. I wonder how his wheelchair handles the plane, or even simple things like…you know, is he getting dressed okay. Who's tying his shoes for him? What about this? What about that? It's all so frustrating."

Angel sighed, putting her hand on Amanda shoulder and saying, "It's okay. I'm sure Professor X knows how much you love him. It's very sweet, but he _is_ a grown man, after all. He's handled this drama alright so far. I've never met someone with such strength and grace and just…heart, really. I actually think he'd get upset to see and hear you talking about him like this." Amanda giggled. "I know what you mean, and you're right. He's done that before. Sometimes, I admit that I feel guilty for things _I_ still can do, but _he_ can't. _I_ don't have to lift my legs into bed every night, and _I'm_ not forced to ask people to reach and get things for me. We've had words about this before, and he always gives me dirty looks over it. Now that we've found each other, I think he just wants our time together to be filled with smiles, not tears."

While they washed out their glasses, Amanda said, "I'll tell you one thing I'm glad he wasn't here to see." "What?" "Us in the pool, going completely metal…mental. I mean to say 'mental'. Gosh, now I'm starting to talk like Charlie." Angel giggled and replied, "Sounds more like you've got metal on the brain." "Oh, shut up. I'll tell you something else, though. Remember how you told me you and Sean will go grocery shopping tomorrow?" "Yeah. Why?" "Well, I need you to pick up some chicken thighs and drumsticks, and also a big jar or two of honey. I need them for Erik's birthday Thursday." Angel put two thumbs up. "Got it."

**_AN: I know this one was a bit shorter than what my average will be, but I just felt a little filler chapter was required._**


	14. Returns & Chaos

**_AN: Sorry for long wait, my people. College, sickness, money...you don't want to know. Anyway, there are several references to other movies in this chapter. One is for "X1", & one is for "The Dark Knight". There's also a reference to a Christmas episode of "That 70's Show". Thumbs up if you can spot them all._**

Amanda was barely able to sleep that night. Thinking of how packed her Wednesday was going to be kept her awake until the early dawn hours. She finally fell asleep around a quarter to two in the morning…only to be re-awakened around four hours later by a tapping sound on her bedroom door. Groaning in frustration, she dragged herself out of bed and shuffled over to her door. Rubbing her eyes, she was shocked at who was standing in the hallway. Her voice was groggy as she said, "Uh…S-Sarah? What are you doing?" The person she was speaking to was Sarah Troy, a seventeen-year-old Welsh girl with a slim build, brown eyes, and dirty-blond hair in a pixie-cut. She had the power of healing, meaning that by merely touching another person's injury, she could make it instantly go away. Amanda had often thought about asking her to try fixing Charles's paralysis, but her gift was still too under-developed, and the injury in question was both extensive and internal. Sarah didn't answer her friend's question, simply smiling and grabbing Amanda's wrist as she said, "Come on, girl. Let's go."

"Remind me _again_ why we're doing this at six a.m. The sun isn't even completely up yet." Sarah rolled her eyes, sighing in frustration as she wondered why her friend had to be so slow in understanding things. "_Because_…it's fun." "It would be even _more_ fun if my brother wasn't coming _home_ in three-and-a-half hours!" "_Hush_. Keep your voice down, or someone will hear us. It's one of the few days this time of year when it's warmer in the morning. Besides, I don't know why you're complaining. We do this a lot, and you usually beat me, anyway." By this time, they'd managed to sneak out the back door, and they were walking to the tree-line at the edge of the property. This was their usual start-off point.

The pair crouched down, Sarah saying, "Okay, ready?" "Yeah." "Then…_go_!" A couple of minutes into their race, they veered off in separate directions. Amanda lost track of where her friend went, but she kept looking over her shoulder just in case. Eventually, she reached the shed where the groundskeepers' jeeps were kept. She slowly opened the door, glancing from side-to-side, seeing no signs of Sarah. She used rocks to hold one of the doors open, choosing the jeep that was closest to her, one with streaks of blue and red running along its sides.

Suddenly, there was a shuffling noise, and she gasped as a head popped up from behind a garbage can. "Gotcha!" "Don't do that! You scared me half to death!" "Only half?" Amanda shot her friend a glare, to which Sarah replied, "Oh, honestly, girl, who else could've been out her right at this time but me?" After taking a minute to catch her breath, Sarah asked what they were going to do now. "You know the rules. You got here first. That means you do the driving." "What about you?" "Well, the ground is kind of squishy this morning from the rain last night, so…I think I'll just get on the back and counterbalance. It'll help give us more traction." "Cool. Let's get on with it then, shall we?"

The jeep and its passengers whipped around the mansion grounds with surprising ease, despite the fact that its top speed was only fifteen miles an hour. Though she'd initially been reluctant to take part in this so early in the morning, Amanda still found herself laughing joyfully, a smile plastered across her face. She thought, "I'm shocked at how good a driver Sarah really is." They kept driving for another couple of minutes, when they saw the beginnings of the pathway that led to the flower/butterfly garden. It was one of Charles's favorite places to go outside the main house. When it wasn't too windy, he liked to grade papers there, claiming the peaceful atmosphere helped keep his mind clear. Amanda was torn from her musings by Sarah saying, "On that turn coming up, I want you to lean to the right. We should have no problem going arou—ahhhh!" She never finished her sentence. The tires had hit a rock they'd not yet noticed, causing them to lose stability. Seemingly out of control, the jeep careened down a small hill, heading straight for the garden as the girls screamed their throats out in terror.

Suddenly, they collided with a bench in the center of a cluster of honeysuckle bushes. Sarah screamed even louder as the force of the crash threw her from the jeep. She landed about ten feet away, in the middle of some daisies. Meanwhile, Amanda had been flipped forward over the back of the jeep, going head-first into the front seat with her legs kicking wildly in the air. Groaning in pain, she hauled herself into a sitting position, realizing that she was now behind the wheel. Her head was pounding, and she felt a strange warm sensation on her left knee. Glancing down, she was horrified to see a thick stream of blood, going down into her shoe from beneath her pajama leg. Quickly looking around, she opened the glove compartment and found a couple of ACE bandages. They weren't the best kind of wrappings she could've had, but they would have to do. As she began wrapping her knee, Amanda couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculousness of it all. Under her breath, she said, "This is _so_ not how I wanted to start my day. Charlie's going to kill me."

As she patched herself up, she heard groaning coming from a few feet away. Her eyes grew wide as she suddenly remembered Sarah. The girl was crawling her way out of the daisies, repeatedly moaning what sounded like Amanda's name. Once she finally got clear of the flowers, she called out softly, "Are you okay?" "What do _you_ think?" Sarah noticed that her friend had started giggling, which made her wonder about a possible concussion. Struggling to stand, she all but dragged herself back towards the jeep. Amanda noticed that Sarah was covered in minor cuts and bruises, which would undoubtedly be stinging her madly, but hopefully wouldn't cause too much trouble in the long run.

When Sarah got to the jeep and saw that her friend's injuries were more extensive, the first words out of her mouth were, "My word, I'm so sorry." "It's fine. Don't worry about it. Trust me, I've been through worse. The main thing right now is to…" "What? What is it?" Amanda's attention had been drawn away by the sound of crunching leaves, a heavy noise that could only have been made by human footsteps. She swallowed hard and said, "Oh, no. We've got to get out of here…_now_. Quick, come on!" Sarah nodded and started walking away, but it wasn't in the way or speed which the occasion called for. Amanda rolled her eyes and grabbed her friend's wrist, saying, "Don't tip-toe like that! This isn't a spy movie! We have to get back inside the mansion before someone catches us out here, okay? Now…run!" And so they did that, as fast as they possibly could with the injuries they had.

When they reached the back door, they didn't hear anyone walking around at first. That is, until they reached the kitchen. Sean was standing at the counter, making a bowl of cereal. And even more horrifying to Amanda, Erik sat in a corner, reading the newspaper with his feet propped up on the table. Quickly glancing at each other, they both sighed and nodded, thinking they might as well face the music. Sarah went first, her head down as she tried not to focus on anything in particular. Amanda was right behind her. She, too, tried to walk fast with her head down. But her neck hurt too much from the tumble she'd taken, and she was unable to escape the questions. Sean looked up, asking, "Holy—what happened to _you_ guys?" Amanda was about to say something snarky in reply, but the sound of rustling paper cut her off. She cringed. Sure enough, Erik asked, "What on Earth did you do?" Shooting him a look, she said in a tense voice, "Don't blame _me_. _I_ didn't instigate it."

By now, Sarah was long gone, having bolted up to her room and leaving her friend to take the heat. That fact made Amanda groan in frustration. While she was distracted, Erik had looked down, his eyes bulging out when he saw the blood on her pajama leg. Suddenly breathless, he jumped to his feet and was by her side in less than four seconds, his hand on her shoulder as he asked again what had happened. Their eyes met, her hand sliding comfortingly over his as she noticed the direction of his stare. Very softly, she said, "It's okay, Erik. I'll be fine. It's just a cut knee. I'm going upstairs to clean up and get dressed. I promise, if the bleeding doesn't go down enough soon, I'll go talk to Hank about it. Is that alright?" He swallowed hard and slowly backed away, not answering her question as he watched her leave. She wiggled her fingers at him as the elevator doors closed.

The first thing Amanda did when she limped back to her room was put her pajama pants in the bathroom sink, desperately trying to scrub the bloodstain out of the fabric. By her estimation, Charles and Alex should be getting on the plane to come home right about now, and she wanted most of this mess taken care of before they arrived. Once that was done, she unwrapped her knee and cleaned the wound on it. There was some good news. Most of the blood had been soaked up already, and the new joint stiffness told her the injury was already starting to heal. She'd have to throw the bandages away, but that was unimportant.

It was agony as Amanda took a warm washcloth and began dabbing at the wound. There weren't any tiny bits of gravel there, thank goodness, so she had less of a worry about possible infection. But if she thought that was bad, it was nothing compared to how much her whole body stung as she got into the bathwater. It was as if a million people were jabbing needles into her skin. Though her brother wasn't home yet, she felt like she could still hear his voice in her mind. She softly repeated what he always told her whenever she'd get anxious: "Calm your mind." Over and over, the words came out, never stopping until the sting began to fade and the water grew cold. It took all of her strength to lift herself out of the tub, dragging her damaged leg. She pinned up her hair and put on the most comfortable clothes she had: a pair of sweatpants and a Mickey Mouse t-shirt. She didn't bother to look for shoes, choosing instead to wear her favorite fluffy slippers.

As she walked to her door, she glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall next to it. Thursday was circled, marked with the letters 'EB' for "Erik's birthday". It brought back the memory of what responsibilities lay ahead of her, causing her to sigh yet again. Bracing herself, she left her room and went downstairs, immediately rushing to the kitchen and taking certain items out to start baking. Taking a deep breath, she drummed her fingers on the counter and stole a quick glance out the window. Then, the real chaos began.

Amanda sent one of the younger students down to the lab with a note for Hank. He soon came into the kitchen, carrying the bag that contained all the party supplies. After a quick hug and a peck on the cheek in thanks, she set to work. The cake was first. She couldn't help the contented smile she made as she mixed the batter, and the strawberry smell met her nose. She started humming under her breath, which helped everything go by faster. Given the pain in her knee, that was a very good thing. She'd just put the cake in the oven and was preparing to start on the muffins, when she suddenly heard the faint sound of a ringing phone. It was coming from her brother's office, and she immediately rushed over there. She was nearly out of breath as she picked up the phone, saying in a formal tone, "Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. This is Amanda. How may I help you?"

"Mandy-lou!" "Hey, Charlie! How are you?" "We're both wonderrrrful. Alexxx—Alex is making eyes at the flight attendant as we ssspeak." Amanda wrinkled her nose in confusion. Why was he talking so funny? Unless…oh, no. She rolled her eyes and asked, "Charlie, are you drunk?" "I'm not sober!" She groaned, rubbing her temples and thinking how this was just what she needed right now. She said, "Well, I hope you feel a little better by the time the plane lands, okay? See you soon, big brother. I love you." "Love you, too." There was a clicking noise on the other end, and the call was over. As she hung up and walked back to the kitchen, all Amanda could think was, "Huh. I guess Raven was right. Old habits really do die hard." She made sure to put aside two aspirins and set up a pot of coffee to brew.

The muffins were next. Amanda was immensely grateful when Angel appeared and asked if she could help. She'd just come back from the grocery store and was quick to put the chicken and honey away. That would have to wait until tomorrow afternoon. They were able to fit four trays of muffins on each of the stove shelves. She was putting the last of those trays in when she heard a car door slam. Angel perked her head up and said, "They must be back early." Amanda was excited. She threw off her oven-mitts and ran for the door, not caring if she looked childish or stupid, and ignoring the searing pain that once again shot down her leg. When she opened said door and stepped outside, Charles was lifting himself into his wheelchair, which Alex was standing behind and holding in place.

The dark-haired telepath smiled when he spotted her, walking down the front steps towards him. He moved his wheelchair around to face her directly, threw his arms open, and said, "The welcoming committee!" Amanda fought back a laugh. There was no uncertainty here. He was definitely drunk. She saw the slight red tint in his blue eyes as she walked closer, and she caught the slight scent of whiskey on his breath as she accepted his hug. That didn't matter to her, though. She was just happy to have her brother back home. As she pulled away, she kissed his cheek and said, "I missed you, Charlie." "I missed you, too, love. We should get inside now. Looks like a ssstorm is coming in."

As Charles began wheeling himself back into the mansion, Amanda hung back a bit, walking beside Alex. "So, how did everything go? Did you enjoy the London experience you've apparently so longed for?" She giggled when he blushed. He looked down, cupping the back of his neck as he replied, "Yeah, we had a great time. The speech went awesome. Professor X got a standing ovation at his old school, and we went out later to celebrate." "Clearly _someone_ never stopped." Briefly glancing in the direction his mentor had gone, he replied, "I know, right?" Amanda then asked, "Were the British girls able to resist your charms?" When Alex's blush got deeper, she knew she'd hit the mark. "I _knew_ it! Well, come on. Tell me all about her. What's she like? What's her name?" In a soft voice, he told her, "Her name's Violet Pratchett. She's exactly my age, and she's maybe a quarter of an inch taller than me. She's a red-head, but it's a much darker shade than Sean's hair is. She gave me her phone number, but…" "But what? Are you scared of how she'll react to learning about your mutation?" When he shook his head no, she asked, "Then, what's wrong?"

By now, they were fully inside the house, and they'd closed the doors behind them. Amanda repeated her question, but Alex still didn't answer. Instead, he simply looked at her and swallowed hard. She sighed, getting the message. Putting her hands on his shoulders, she said quietly, "Look, whatever my brother said must not have sunk in properly. You've _got_ to let go of whatever fantasy this is, Alex. Don't make me your one hope for a normal life. It's not healthy. I do _care_ about you, and I _understand _that you have feelings for me, but I just _can't_ be what you want me to be. My heart belongs to someone else." Making that statement surprised even her, since it was the first time she'd openly semi-admitted to being in-love with Erik.

Alex sighed and nodded, replying equally as soft, "Yeah, I do know. It's with a man who's fourteen years older than you." "Really? The age card? _That's_ where we're at now? You're two years _younger_ than me. You're not even a legal adult yet. How do you have the nerve to criticize me?" "I'm just trying to protect you. I don't want you to get hurt." She gave a weak smile. "That's very sweet of you to say, but…dude…" Unable to find the right words, she pulled him in for a hug. She continued by whispering in his ear, "I'll always be there for you if you need anything, Alex. I hope you remember that, but…you've got to let me go. Let me go, and move on to better things." As they pulled apart, they exchanged little smiles of understanding. Amanda then put her hand back on his shoulder and said, "Violet sounds like a sweet girl. She'll be very lucky to have you. Alex simply nodded his head and mouthed the words "thank you", before he turned and walked into the room across the hall.

As she turned to go back to the kitchen, Charles cleared his throat to get her attention. She smiled, and he smiled back with a quick, twitchy nod. She watched him slowly raise two fingers to his temple, and she mouthed that it was okay. Instantly, she heard him 'say', "Nice job on that one, Mandy-lou." Amazingly, his thinking voice was perfectly clear and even, unlike his current speaking voice. The alcohol must not be able to affect his telepathy. Amanda couldn't help but giggle at the idea, and she saw him do the same. She then heard Charles 'tell' her, "It's great to be home, little sister." "It's great to have you home, Charlie."

Then, she heard footsteps coming down the nearby stairs, smiling when she looked up and saw it was Erik. He said, "Lots of sweet smells have been drifting around the house today." Her first instinct was to panic, but the man's apparent naiveté worked to her advantage. He probably thought all that food was for Charles. "Fine. Let him keep thinking that", she thought. It would keep him from getting suspicious. Shrugging her shoulders, she went to the lab to find Hank. The cut from earlier had re-opened and was starting to bleed again. Amanda was so grateful Charles hadn't seen it. She wasn't in the mood for answering any questions about it yet.

Ten minutes later, she was sitting on a table in the school infirmary, awaiting Hanks's opinion on her injury. She rolled up the left leg of her sweats and asked him, "Do you think it's that serious?" He sighed and said, "Well, I think it opened because of all your moving around today. Staying off it for a while would help with the healing process. Are you sure you don't want to tell me how it happened?" Amanda played dumb and shook her head. "I've been so busy, that I've actually forgotten." Hank raised an eyebrow, knowing she was probably lying to him, but he decided not to push it. He told her, "Unfortunately, I do think you'll need stitches. It's the only way we can make sure it stays closed and heals up properly." She rolled her eyes. This was really messing with her whole day. She said, "Just make sure to numb the area as best as you can, so I don't feel the needle too much."

Hank was a master at his work with the stitches, just as he was with every other task he set his mind to. He gave Amanda a foam ball to squeeze if the pain became too much, despite having already given her a shot to numb the wound. For her part, Amanda was surprised to find herself giggling, saying that the thread was tickling her skin. It was all over within minutes. As she moved to climb down from the table, Hank warned her to take it easy walking around. "The stitches could tear or fray if you're not careful", he said. She was about to protest, when her sister walked in. Raven said, "He's right, you know. You've done enough in planning for Magneto's party. Angel and I can finish the rest. Go back to your room. Watch that little television Charles gave you. Read one of your books. Do something called relax." Amanda giggled and replied, "If I'm going, you're walking me there."

They linked arms as they walked out of the infirmary and through the kitchen, staying relatively quiet as the elevator carried them to the third floor. At some point during the ride, the morphing girl asked, "So, besides the obvious, how's the rest of your day been going?" "Awesome. I've been running around like a chicken without a head, trying to get most of the food for tomorrow done. My knee feels like it's on fire. And to top it all off, my brother comes home from a business trip totally zonked." Raven giggled and sympathetically patted her sister's shoulder. Once they reached Amanda's bedroom door, she finally asked the question she'd been dying to for hours: So…what could possibly have caused you to need stitches?" "That's precisely what _I'd_ like to know." They gasped in sudden fear, only to realize it was just Charles. That did nothing to ease Amanda's nerves, though. She'd hoped that in his semi-stupor, her brother would never notice her injury, and thus never have to be told how stupid she'd been in the circumstances that had led to it. "Aren't you supposed to be resting right now, Charlie?" "You'd be surprised what the wonders of modern medicine can do." That meant he must've found the pills she'd left for him. To be honest, she was starting to wish she hadn't.

As Charles wheeled closer, he said, "I was told a rather interesting story a few minutes ago. Thomas, one of our dear groundskeepers, found his jeep crashed into a bench in the butterfly garden this morning. He said he'd head panicked female voices, followed by the sound of running footsteps. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that…would you?" In her mind, Amanda conjured up the image of a brick wall around her brain, stopping herself from projecting anything or allowing any emotion about the incident to show on her face. Pressing her lips together, she gave a quick, confused shake of her head, which earned a sneaky smirk from Charles. Placing her hand on her doorknob, she forced a smile and said, "I guess it's _my_ turn to nap now. See you both later." She blew each of her siblings a kiss and quickly shut the door behind her. As she lay down on her bed, she gave a heavy sigh and said softly, "I wonder what adventures await me tomorrow."

_**AN: The jam Amanda & Sarah got into at the start of this chapter was taken from a real-life on-set incident 3yrs ago, involving James McAvoy & Michael Fassbender. They've talked about it many times since then. Apparently, they decided to create a live-action version of "Grand Theft Auto" w/ some golf carts. If you know the story already, feel free to mention it in your review. As always, I ask for only kindness & politeness regarding that little box.**_


	15. Starlight Interlude

**_AN: I had a lot of fun working on this particular bit. I wanted to give them some alone time, & I wanted to let Michael have his childhood dream, even though it's only through the magic of Microsoft Word ("I thought I was Superman when I was...I still do.")._**

**_"Look at the skies. They have stars in their eyes, on this lovely bella note."- from the Disney film "Lady and the Tramp"._**

Amanda waited for the sun to go down completely, and for the house to become silent. She took a beach towel, a miniature radio, and a telescope with her up to the roof. It was to be her first time up there, but although she was a big frightened, she knew it was the perfect night for stargazing. She only hoped Charles wouldn't "read her the riot act" for going up there alone once he found out. Everything was set up in only a couple of minutes. She was on her knees, briefly focused on the Little Dipper, when she suddenly heard the sound of the nearby door creaking open. She watched in slight nervousness as a dark figure emerged from the shadows.

The person was carrying something under their right arm, but she couldn't see what it was. She didn't realize precisely who it was, until she noticed the corner of the black bathrobe, fluttering in the wind. She smiled and asked, "What's got you up so late, Erik?" He sat down next to her on the towel and replied, "I could ask you the same thing." Amanda had to giggle. It felt like a repeat of events from a week-and-a-half ago. Had it really been so short a time? She told him, "Well, on such a perfectly clear night, I couldn't pass up the opportunity." She pointed up at the sky, and he muttered "indeed" as he flashed a smile.

After a short while, Erik asked her what she was searching for. She told him, "Actually…I saw a report in the newspaper this morning, and they said the planet Saturn is supposed to be in rare visibility for the next couple of days. I've seen Venus and Mars at night before, but not Saturn yet. It's said to be very pretty. Like I said before, I…I-I just couldn't pass it up." "Interesting. I never pegged you for someone who enjoyed this kind of thing." As Amanda adjusted the zooming on her telescope, she said, "There's so much you've yet to learn about me, Erik." He laughed. "I'm sure it will be quite an interesting journey." He didn't see her smile in response, but he definitely felt the tremor under her skin when he knelt down and slid his left arm around her.

Amanda swallowed hard and took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. He'd never had this kind of forwardness in his touches before. She could sense it, especially in the way his splayed fingers flexed and drummed affectionately against her waist. Her heart leaped into her throat as he leaned over slightly, his warm breath tickling her skin. He whispered in her ear, "While gazing at Saturn is all perfectly well and good, there's a much more interesting story to be told not too far away." Seeing her confused expression, he turned the telescope in another direction. Once he found the right one, he continued, "See, look there. Those are the constellations of Andromeda and Cassiopeia. They speak of a mother and daughter whose myth has become legendary." "Why do most of our conversations seem to circle 'round back to mythology?" He paused before saying, "Myths can teach us a great deal about the psyche, and they often give some profound lessons as well."

They sat back, and Erik asked her what she knew about that particular story. "I know a little bit. I guess I was more of a big-picture person on this one, instead of a detail person." He explained, "Cassiopeia was a queen who held great store by her own vanity, and that extended down to her family members. She loved to boast about the beauty of her daughter, Andromeda, saying it rivaled even that of the goddess Aphrodite. As one can imagine, that didn't sit too well on Mt. Olympus. I'm sure you can piece the rest of the story together yourself." "That's code for you forgot how the rest of it goes." His jaw dropped in mock-hurt, and he nudged her in the side as she tried unsuccessfully to rein in her giggles.

Once she caught her breath, Amanda decided to try her luck by saying, "So, that woman got in big trouble, because she thought she and her family had qualities that put them above everyone else. Gosh, I…I'd hate to see what happens to people who do that in real life." It didn't take much effort to understand the meaning of her words, but Erik still quirked up an eyebrow and asked, "What are you saying?" Shrugging her shoulders, she replied, "Nothing at all. I was just making a statement." After a brief, awkward silence, Erik helped Amanda find the constellation called Draco, which he said meant "the dragon". She, in turn, showed him her own favorite constellation, Pegasus. She stretched her left arm towards the sky, tracing the outline of the horse's wings with her finger. "This is why I envy Angel and Sean. The way they can fly…it's unreal. They're so lucky." She sighed as she lowered her hand, making a fist with it and resting her head there.

Erik nodded in understanding, pressing his lips together. As a young child, before his powers began to emerge, he too had dreamed of what it would be like to fly. In fact, his favorite toys had been model planes. His father often said he believed his boy could become a great pilot one day. He shirked off the memory, but still thought over its message. In a way, Erik's powers did allow him a form of flight, a perfect win-win situation. Wanting to see Amanda smile again, he put his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her to face him. He smiled and said, "I can fly, too, you know…in a manner of speaking." "What?" "I said I can fly. And I can take you up with me right now…if you want me to, that is." "Wha—how?"

He carefully stood up, helping Amanda to her feet before saying, "It won't be a problem. I only want you to stand on my feet and put your arms around my waist." "Stand on your feet? Won't that hurt you?" Erik chuckled under his breath, shook his head, and replied, "Just do it." Slowly and tentatively, she linked her arms around his waist just like he told her to. "Okay. Now…up." She kicked off her slippers and stood on his feet. "If I crush your toes…" "You won't. I promise. Just remember to hold on tight." He then cleared his throat, briefly closed his eyes, and took on an expression of deep focus. She watched him stretch out his arms a bit, turning his hands to be palm-up. Taking a deep breath, she said, "So, when does—whoa!" Her words were cut off by the sudden feeling of being lifted up. The mansion roof slowly became smaller and smaller, and it seemed to move behind them. Amanda gasped when she looked down and saw their shadows, gliding high over the back lawn.

The sound of Erik's gentle laugh made her look up, smiling when he winked at her. She asked him, "How are you doing that? Neither of us have anything on that involves metal." We all have iron in our blood, do we not? Look up now. You're missing the best part." She turned her head, staring in the same direction as he was, and she was amazed by what she saw. Amanda had never seen such a beautiful view in her life. A thin cloud of mist was beginning to appear under their feet. She could see a smudge in the distance: New York City. "That's _half_ of what I can do", he said. "What do you—eek!" She squealed as they took on a sudden burst of speed, heading straight for the horizon line. The breeze whipped around them, making bits of her braided hair fall out of place. Throwing her head back, she couldn't help but laugh and shout in joy. She didn't see Erik's face, but she could sense him smiling, too. It didn't take long for them to reach the edge of the Hudson River. They hovered about twenty feet above the water, just in front of the tree-line. The reflections of the city lights sparkled like diamonds.

"Erik, this…this is gorgeous", she said breathlessly, "I feel like I could touch the moon if I wanted." She leaned against his chest and gave a quick squeeze, the best she could do in the way of a thank-you hug. He wanted to return her embrace so badly, but he couldn't. Any loss of focus could send them both tumbling down into the water. Looking down at her, he sighed and said, "Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end…this included. I can only remain this way for so long. I have to bring us home now." Erik laughed again when Amanda let out an overdramatic "I don't want to go"-type whine. He then turned around and started their return to the mansion. Luckily, the landing was as smooth as the takeoff.

As their feet hit the roof, Amanda looked up into Erik's eyes, fully prepared to thank him for what he'd just done. But when she tried to speak, no words came to mind. It was like she'd lost the ability of speech completely. Her throat grew sandpaper-dry with how he was staring at her, and her heart was pounding. The wind had picked up, ruffling their hair around. She slowly reached up, twirling her fingertips into the tiny curls at the back of his neck, where it curved into the base of his skull. She noticed that his breathing became heavier at her touch, and hers was following suit. Why wouldn't the crazy man just make a move already?! Couldn't he see how much she…oh, what was he doing _now_? She sighed in relaxation when he cupped the side of her face in his right hand. But then, he suddenly pulled back and said, "You're cold."

Her eyes popped open. "Hmm? What?" "I said you're cold. Why didn't you tell me that you were getting cold?" As he stepped away, Amanda realized fully just how much warmth he'd been giving off. A wind-induced shiver ran through her, and her teeth chattered slightly. "See? You _are_ cold. Not to worry, though. I _did_ come prepared for this." She was about to ask what he meant, when she noticed him reach for the backpack that had been sitting near the roof's door. He unzipped the bag and took out something very familiar to her: his favorite black leather jacket. Without saying a word, he walked back over to her and placed it around her shoulders. She smiled as she slid her arms into the sleeves, giggling when she realized how baggy it was on her frame. With a wink, he said, "It looks good on you." They then returned to their earlier spot and sat back down.

Amanda scootched a bit closer to Erik, asking about the stargazing possibilities in his native Germany: "Are there good places to get a vantage point?" "I'm sure there are. But to be honest, it's been a long while since I've actually seen a German sky. I've been quite busy over these last couple of years." With that, he took a small box from the backpack, chose a cigarette, and lit it. Amanda asked him, "Do you ever miss it?" "Sometimes. I miss the little things, things few people think of." "Like what?" He took a couple of puffs before answering, "I miss watching children play with such simple things as a can and two sticks. I miss the smells of freshly-baked bread and the fruit and vegetable stands. I miss the music played during festivals. I even miss seeing women, yelling at their husbands on random street corners."

Amanda giggled at the image. She knew a person could find those things in any country, but as Judy Garland so eloquently put it, "There's no place like home." Erik flashed a tiny sideways smile, which she was glad to see. It was her favorite trait, and given his tragic upbringing, it was something she was resolved to make appear more often. After another few minutes she said, "I'll bet the horizon over there looks very different now with that stupid wall they put up, cutting the capital city in two." Erik's expression became contemplative. Like many people, he'd heard about the new wall that had been built through the center of Berlin. It was meant to help split powers between the four countries currently on control of Germany. Of course in reality, what it was actually doing was the exact opposite of help. There were countless stories of people trying to cross the wall, hoping to escape to a new and better life. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of those people ended up dead. This was one of the few times when Erik was glad his mother was no longer alive. He knew it would break her heart to see what their beloved homeland had become. He came out of his reverie just as Amanda said, "I only hope I'm still alive to see it taken down." He made an "mm"-type noise and replied, 'You and me both, Lady X. You and me both."

After another few minutes, and another few puffs on his cigarette, Erik said, "So, back to one of our discussions earlier in the week…" "What, the Hades and Persephone thing?" "Yes. I started reading over the story again this morning, and one particular detail caught my attention. It discussed the deal Hades made with Demeter and Zeus, after Persephone had eaten the pomegranate seeds." "Yeah, I remember that. The Greeks used it to explain the changing seasons. I think they said it was three months in the Underworld, and the rest of the time was spent with her mother." "Some versions say it was _three_ months and others say _six_. But I was actually more intrigued by what could've been happening behind the scenes, or in the years afterwards." Curious, Amanda asked what he meant.

He said, "The stories never say how Persephone herself felt in regards to the deal. They only describe her initial fear at being kidnapped, but nothing of what came later. She may not have been as opposed to everything as we've been led to believe." "You mean, she may have actually…_enjoyed_ being Hades' queen?" "Why not? There's no legend to say that she was abused or otherwise unhappy. After her own myth is done, she only makes minor appearances in others. But it's those un-described, in-between moments that make me wonder. She may have taken her job quite seriously, and may have felt protected by it. She may have also loved her husband a great deal, admiring of his bravery in how he brought her to his home. He was so willing to face the wrath of the other Olympians to have her. Devotion like that doesn't come simply from mere greed." By now, his cigarette was done, and he'd shifted around to face his companion directly. Looking her straight in the eye, Erik asked, "Well, what do _you_ think?"

Once again, Amanda found herself unable to breathe. Her face grew warm, and she couldn't find the strength to turn away from the man before her. Deep down, she knew the secret message he was trying to send through telling this story: "I'm devoted to you in the same way he was to her. I love you that much." His words from their return to the mansion after the charity ball echoed in her mind: "The one bright spot in the universe of a cast-out man." It almost made her want to cry. A few tears did manage to fall, and Erik saw them before she could wipe them away. Repeatedly muttering "no, no, no", he pulled her close and hugged her tightly, rocking her as if she were a toddler freshly woken up from a nightmare. At one point, Amanda even felt him kiss the top of her head.

She'd never known a love like this, and she knew it had been a long while since Erik had. She thought back to a time before that newspaper article, before she'd even been made aware of the so-called "mutant issue". It was just her and her mother against the world. Amanda had no father figure growing up, and only a very small handful of family members she could truly count on. There were times when she felt so alone in the world, but those times were over now. Fate had its way, and she now was surrounded by people who cared for her. One of them was still sitting beside her, his strong, warm arms forming a cocoon around her body.

His grip tightened as she snuggled against him. Amanda tried to whisper that she was alright now, but he wouldn't let go. He wasn't paying attention. He probably thought his subtle declaration upset her, disgusted her even, but that wasn't true. The moment reminded her of a book she'd used for extra credit in her junior year of high school, largely due to the name of the leading male character. Was the man holding her doomed to remain another "poor, unhappy Erik", just like the man in the story? She hoped not. She wouldn't allow it. She'd show him that love, kindness, compassion, and trust weren't jokes, and that to want them in your life wasn't wrong. She'd show him he wasn't alone, God give her courage. It had to be a two-way street, though. Using poetry and mythology to express ideas was fine, even sweet at certain times. But he'd have to be brave and use those three little life-changing words if he truly wanted a relationship with her.

Erik's grip on her finally began to relax, but not, Amanda was the one who didn't want to let go. She reached up and gripped the collar of his bathrobe, intending to get his full attention. They locked eyes, and two of his fingertips ghosted over her jaw. One of them tapped her bottom lip. Both of their breathing became shallow. Her breath was making tiny clouds whenever she'd exhale. He caught the faint smell of peanut butter, probably from the cookies she'd had for dessert. That meant the sweet flavor of them probably still lingered on her lips. The idea made his eyes briefly snap shut, and he groaned lowly in frustration. He wanted this so badly, but he just couldn't make himself cross that line. He couldn't allow himself to get hurt again. She could feel him trembling, and the word "can't" was practically stamped in his eyes as he finally let go of her and scooted away. Erik looked at his watch and said, "I didn't realize how late it was. It's well after two in the morning." Amanda's eyes grew wide. They stood up and brushed themselves off. She said, "So…I guess that means it's after midnight then, right?" He laughed slightly and replied, "That's the way it appears right now, yes." Rolling her eyes, she said, "No, I mean…look, when it's after midnight, it means the next day has started."

Amanda was hinting at him for a reason. In these past couple of days, she couldn't believe that he hadn't mentioned his birthday even once. Didn't it matter to him at all? Erik scrunched up his eyebrows and answered slowly, "Yeeesss…" "Oh, honestly, you can't expect me to believe that you've forgotten your own birthday." He just smiled and shook his head, glancing over her shoulder at the horizon. "I'm not stupid, Lady X. I'm perfectly aware of what day it is, and what it means. What I _can't_ understand, however, is why you insist on getting so hung up on it. It's just another day, after all." "It is _not_ just another day. It means you're alive another year. That's something to celebrate, if you ask me." He turned his back to her, still chuckling under his breath. Amanda swallowed hard, forcing back a fresh round of tears. He really didn't seem to care. Did he truly hate his life that much? Trying to keep her breathing steady, she asked in a much softer voice, "How old are you now?" He sighed and answered simply, "Thirty-two."

Taking a few steps closer, she placed her left hand on his shoulder. "Erik, I-" That same hand fell limp at her side, all speech briefly failing her as he slowly turned around. "What?" The urge to divulge her true feelings was almost overpowering. She badly wanted to tell him, really she did, but actions always spoke louder than words. And in a few hours, she'd be able to show him that. Amanda couldn't wait to see how he'd react to the party. So, before she lost all courage, she stretched up on her tip-toes…and gently kissed Erik's cheek. She could smell the aftershave on his skin, and the slight prickling of newly-growing-in stubble against her lips made her hear skip a beat. As she very slowly pulled back, the shock in his eyes made her giggle. She told him simply, "Happy Birthday." The corners of his mouth twitched in a slight smile. Touching the spot where her lips had been, he answered her with a German phrase he said mean "thank you". Composing themselves, they quickly gathered their stuff and walked back inside.

As they passed by Erik's bedroom door, Amanda shrugged off the jacket, mumbling, "Before I forget." He smiled as he took it back and said, "Have a good night." "You, too." He closed the door behind him, but she didn't move from her spot right away. She sighed and whispered, "I hope you'll have an even better _day_." She then turned on her heel and walked quietly back to her own bedroom. She threw herself on her bed, sinking into what shockingly proved to be a very good sleep.


	16. Party Time

_**AN: Time for Erik's big birthday party. Amanda's choice of outfit really tests his restraint.**_

Five hours later, the alarm on Amanda's clock was telling her to wake up. She was having none of it, however, groaning under her breath about sending the small device to the fiery depths of a volcano if it didn't shut up. She pulled the covers up over her head, also complaining about the "stupid sun". Then, she caught the faint smell of aftershave…evergreen-scented aftershave. It must've rubbed off while Erik was hugging her. The memory of the previous night made her eyes pop open, and she immediately sat up in bed. That turned out to not be such a wise idea, as the sudden movement gave her a headache. She groaned again as she slipped on her bathrobe, holding her head and walking downstairs. She did have a job to do today, after all.

The real question now was…would she be able to keep Erik out of the kitchen until all the food was ready? Her brother wasn't awake yet, so she couldn't very well ask him what to do. Just then, in the right place at the right time, Amanda spotted Emma Frost at the bottom of the main staircase. Descending quickly, she tapped the blonde's shoulder and asked, "Hey, can I ask you something real quick?" After getting a nod in response, she continued, "Charlie's still in bed, so you're my only option right now. I don't care if you have to use your powers to do it. But please, keep Erik out of the kitchen for the rest of the day. At least, not until around…oh, say three-o-clock. It's going to be so busy in there, and I-" "Gosh, simmer down, sugar. I'll take care of it, okay? You've got nothing to worry about." They exchanged high-fives before Amanda walked the rest of the way into the kitchen.

She was pouring a hot drink when her sister came in. "Wow. I've never seen you drink your coffee black before." Smiling and lifting the mug to her lips, Amanda replied, "Well, when you've already had one crazy day like I have, and you have another one ahead of you, you'd need a caffeine fix, too. Raven giggled as she watched the empath put three spoons worth of sugar into her mug. Later she asked, "So, how was your night? See anything pretty?" Amanda's eyes briefly glazed over, her cheeks turning red as she replied in a breathless and wistful tone, "Yeah." "Um…you do know I was talking about the stars, right?" "What? Oh, uh…yeah, y-yeah I knew that." "_Busted_! You are _so_ busted!" She whispered back frantically, "Ray, _shush_! Have you _lost_ your _mind_? Are you _actually_ trying to wake up _Charlie_, or anyone _else_, for that matter?"

Lowering her voice, Raven replied, "Seriously though, I can smell his aftershave on you. What _happened_ up there?" "Nothing your dirty imagination is conjuring up, I promise. I was up there alone for a good fifteen minutes before Erik showed up. All we really did was talk." "About what?" "Well, we talked a bit more about mythology, which seems to have become a favorite topic between us for some reason. We talked about a couple of the constellations and how one in particular related to a specific myth. We even talked about current events like the Berlin Wall, and Erik brought up some things he misses about his native Germany. And, um…he actually did something really nice for me." The morphing girl pulled herself onto the counter, smiled, and asked, "Aw, what was it?" "I mentioned the constellation Pegasus, which then led into me saying how envious I am that Sean and Angel can fly. He must've felt bad or something, so he made me hold onto his waist and stand on his feet. He took me _flying_, Ray. He used his gift to levitate us, and we kind of went hovering over the Hudson River." "But the Hudson River is miles away from here." "I know that."

Raven said, "I think it's sweet how he would do something like that, just to make you happy. I told you he cared." "But if that's true, then why hasn't he made a move yet? Heaven knows, he's had plenty of opportunities. Almost every time we're alone, there's usually a moment where we get so close to…gosh, what could be making him hold back like this?" "Hm. Well, if it were anyone else, I'd say was just trying to be proper and court you old-fashioned-style. But in this case…I really don't know what to think. Maybe, because he's been hurt so much, he's scared of hurting you in that same way. So, he might be waiting for you to give an official 'okay' before he tries anything." "You may be right, but I don't know how much bigger of an 'okay' I can give him. Like, do I need to put a big, flashing, neon sign over my head or something?" When her sister giggled, Amanda gave her a light, playful shove before continuing, "It's not like I'm exactly fighting him. I just stand there." Raven put an arm around her, saying, "Give him time, sweetie. He'll come around."

"So, what's first on the agenda today?" Amanda replied, "Well first, I have to put together the snack bowls. I've got three kinds of chips and some pretzels for that. Next, I have to mix the punch and lemonade, and I have two kinds of each. Third, I have to put all the soda cans on ice, to make sure they're perfectly chilled in time for tonight. And finally…I have to make the honey wings. That has to be last, because I don't want the meat to dry out." Raven whistled and said, "Gosh, um…I guess we'd better get started then, huh? But how do you know a certain someone won't come poking around in here?" "Way ahead of you, sis. I've got Emma taking care of that. She's agreed to keep Erik preoccupied until later today, when we can start the party." Amanda than took a large blueberry muffin from the fridge and began eating it, saying, "After this, I've got to head back upstairs to change into some proper work clothes." "Yeah. Just remember that those clothes are 'work', not 'party'. You're not wearing something covered in powdered sugar or juice stains tonight. Not on my watch." Amanda giggled, raising her right hand in a mock-salute and saying, "Yes, my captain." She downed the muffin within eight large, quick bites, before racing back to her room.

Amanda was back downstairs in a flash. Her hair was pinned up to keep it from getting into the food she would be cooking, and she was wearing a long-sleeved red t-shirt with black leggings. By the time she got back to the kitchen, her sister had already filled up one bowl with potato chips, and was working on a second. Raven looked over her shoulder and smiled, before turning back around and pointing to each respective bowl. She said, "That one's the regular flavor, and I was just starting on the onion." "Oh, okay. I guess that means I'll get to work on the ranch-flavored ones, then." They exchanged another smile and continued working. Said work actually progressed much faster than expected, much to Amanda's delight. Her knee was cramping up, and she was really looking forward to lying down for a while. Raven was a big help. They even had a little fun, moving around the kitchen and laughing as they performed a rather poor version of "Jailhouse Rock". Before long, the powdered drinks were mixed, the sodas were in the coolers, and all that was left to do was the honey wings.

Amanda wiped another round of sweat from her forehead, putting the trays in the oven and closing it. "Whew. That's the last one, thank goodness." Her sister, who was washing all their cooking utensils, replied, "I know what you mean. I'm exhausted. I can't believe it's already ten to one." That meant the empath would have to go back upstairs and start getting dressed for the party soon. She muttered under her breath, "All this trouble for just one man." Raven giggled. "He's more than _just one man_, as you put it, sis. He's _your_ man." Amanda shot her a look. "He's _not_ my man. Not _yet_, anyway. If Erik wants a true relationship with me, he's going to have to be brave and tell me. He can't live with the pains of his past forever. He has to accept them and move on, if he truly wants to be happy again. Raven nodded slowly.

That statement reminded her of something Erik told her a year ago, when they were all still training to fight Sebastian Shaw. He was walking past the gym while she'd been lifting weights. He'd said, "You want society to accept you, but you can't even accept yourself." Was there, perhaps, more than one way of accepting oneself? She didn't know. She was going to miss these conversations with Amanda when they eventually left the mansion, whenever that may be. That is, unless…"Hey, why don't you—" "Why don't I what?" The tired look in her sibling's eyes made her abandon that line of conversation. She shook her head, mumbling, "Nothing. Just forget it." Then, someone else made their presence known.

Amanda giggled when she noticed a small platinum head, peeking around the corner. "It's okay, Rory. You can come in." While the little girl was slightly upset about being caught, she was more than willing to spend time with her best friend. She tugged on Amanda's sleeve and asked, "My classes are done. Want to play with me?" "But what will we play with? There are no toys here." Rory scrunched up her nose and walked over to the sink, pulling two long spoons from the drying rack and saying, "We can use these." "Use them for what?" The child responded by using her own spoon to smack the one in Amanda's hand, then ducking back. She did it a second time before the older girl finally understood.

Briefly forgetting her sister was there, Amanda began chasing little Rory around the kitchen and dining room. They used their spoons like fencing blades, laughing to a near-hysteric state as they ducked, darted, and weaved their way through the area. They were so caught up, that they didn't notice Charles entering the dining room from its opposite side. An amused smile crossed his face as he glanced up, motioning for Raven to stay quiet. He then cleared his throat loudly, frightening the two girls out of their excitement. He fought back laughter as he said, "No, don't stop. That was very entertaining." Amanda knew her face must've been beet-red by that point. She said, "Um, yeah…sorry about that, Charlie. We were just-" "It's alright, Mandy-lou. I'm not going to yell at you for having a bit of fun. With all the hard work you've been putting in, you deserve it. However, I do think we should start making the final preparations for the party now." When she moved to get the bags of decorations, he said, "No, little sister, not you. You've done more than enough. I'm sure Erik will appreciate it later. Raven, Miss Munroe, and I will take care of things here. Go to your room and get changed." Charles sensed that she wanted to protest, so he wriggled two fingers next to his right temple and warned, "I can _make_ you go." Narrowing her eyes, she replied, "You wouldn't." "Try me, love." With a groan of defeat, she did as he asked.

Amanda had long since taken off her clothes and was sitting in the tub, when she heard the faint sounds of someone entering her room. She called out, "Who's there?" "It's only me, sis. I was just bringing up the outfit I picked out for you to wear to the party. Sorry to bother you. I'll just leave it on your bed." "Thanks, Ray." After hearing her bedroom door close, her thoughts drifted to the unsuspecting birthday boy. Would Erik be happy with his surprise? He told her last night that he viewed this as "just another day", so she couldn't be too sure. She mentally replayed the feeling of his arms around her as he cradled her on the roof, the warmth, comfort, and safety it brought. It felt like being home. She put her own hands on her shoulders and hugged herself at the thought, briefly closing her eyes and whispering his name with a smile. She then climbed out of the tub, dried off, and walked over to her bed.

"Okay, Raven has _officially_ lost her mind", Amanda growled softly under her breath, examining what her sister had left. There was a little note in the box which said, "I know the dress is a tiny bit shorter than what you're used to, but…welcome to the wonderful world of hips." A smiley face closed the sentence instead of a period. The so-called "dress" was really more like an extended t-shirt. It was a short-sleeved powder-blue sweater dress, with sky-blue pinstripes running horizontally across it. The scooped neckline was low enough to show off her chest, but not low enough to be considered trashy. A black belt with a silver peace sign buckle was hidden beneath it, along with matching calf-high black boots with silver buckles. Filled with great trepidation, Amanda put on the dress.

She found herself being grateful for the accessories, because they helped distract from the length of the dress itself. It came down half-way to her knees, which only left a small piece of skin showing between the hem and the tops of the boots. Amanda giggled as she looked at her belt-buckle: Raven's little inside joke of always calling her a hippie. It was slightly chilly that day, so a denim bolero jacket completed the outfit. Now, what to do with her hair? She decided to jazz up a casual pony-tail, adding a few random curls here and there, with two of them framing her face. The final touch was her makeup, which she wanted to keep simple. It was just concealer and powder mostly, with some tinted lip gloss adding the right pop of color.

For a moment, Amanda just stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her heart was racing. She glanced over her shoulder towards her bedside table, where Erik's present was safely hidden. As she took it out of the top drawer, she ran her fingers gingerly around the label on the box, mumbling, "Gosh, I hope he likes this. Please like this." She got back downstairs just as the final touches where being put on the dining room. Peeking around the corner, she noticed the trays of honey wings on top of the stove. At the sound of a whistle, she looked up, and her eyes met those of her sister.

A blush swept over her face as Raven asked, "What's up there, knockout?" "Oh, hush. I almost fell asleep in the bathtub, and I thought I wasn't going to make it on-time." Then, Angel walked in and said, "Well, you _did_, but just barely. Magneto is on his way over here from the gym _right now_." Amanda gasped and jogged to stand at her sister's side. She looked at everyone and asked them, "Okay, um…do you all have your gifts ready?" One-by-one, they each held up various-sized wrapped items. She then said, "Just be as quiet as you possibly can. I hear his footsteps, alright? So just-" Said footsteps began growing steadily louder. Everyone froze. Using her wings for added speed, Angel shut the curtains to make the room as dark as it could possibly be. Amanda swallowed hard as she heard Erik's voice: "What the—where _is_ everyone?" Her heart leapt into her throat. The kitchen door creaked open. Raven and Angel exchanged nods across the room, tugging back the curtains to re-open as everyone shouted, "Surprise!"

To say that Erik looked shocked would've been an understatement. Ten people stood around the kitchen and dining area, all with various facial expressions. His group looked happy, as did Charles. Sean looked indifferent, Hank looked slightly nervous as he always did, and Alex was merely being polite despite clearly not wanting to be there. The metal-bender, however, only had eyes for one person in particular. This also happened to be the only person who wasn't looking at him directly.

Amanda looked absolutely delicious in that tight dress, sitting atop the counter with one leg crossed over the other. Not a single curve of her athletic body was left to the imagination, a fact which sent his into mega-overdrive. He could see her heartbeat in the vein on her ivory neck's left side, which she quickly covered with her hand as she squirmed under his perusal. The blush in her cheeks said this squirming was not a result of fear, which pleased him to no end. This movement also drew the hem of her dress a bit tighter around her legs. When she relaxed, it loosened again, but rode up just enough to give him a tantalizing glimpse of her toned thighs. He gulped hard, which hurt his throat enough to force back the groan his brain was telling him to make. The dress's hem tightened into her skin again, making certain other things tighten, as well. Erik shoved his left hand into his pocket, crossing his fingers as he prayed that Charles hadn't been 'listening'. The sound of a throat clearing brought him instantly back to Earth. He blinked and shook his head, clearing his mind of all lustful thoughts. All this had happened in the span of a few seconds. "Say something, before they all think you've gone crazy", he thought.

He locked eyes with Amanda again, asking her. "W-What's all this for?" Grateful that the tension had been broken, she giggled and replied, "Well, I would think it's obvious." "But I told you-" "Yes, and I ignored you." "You're a very stubborn person, you know that?" "About as stubborn as you are." When he rolled his eyes, she shrugged and said, "Sorry. I can't help it. It's in my blood." She cast a sideways glance at her brother and winked, earning a smile from him in return. Erik then clapped his hands together and asked, "So…what's first?" From her spot next to the china cabinet, Emma said, "Whatever you want. It's _your_ day, sugar." "Whoop-dee-doo." With that, the party officially began.

Though he tried to play it cool, everyone could see that Erik was enjoying himself. Classes were canceled for the day, so it was nothing to have a student occasionally wander past the dining area, casually wishing the metal-bender a happy birthday. He kept his plate piled high with onion-flavored potato chips, downing glass after glass of lemonade. He played a couple of board games, including a round of chess with Charles, which he shockingly didn't care about losing. He couldn't stop smiling and laughing, another thing which surprised him. He'd forgotten how much fun something like this could be. Of course, that had a lot to do with a certain girl, who didn't stray too far from his side. Despite not using her powers right then, Erik couldn't help but feel calm around Amanda. In the back of his mind, he suspected that this whole event was her idea, and he honestly couldn't have been more thankful.

After a while, he started looking around, and he noticed that certain types of foods were missing. "Aren't there supposed to be sweets here, too?" Charles replied, "We're having the cake and muffins with the students tonight. Mandy-lou made honey-glazed chicken wings for dinner. You can open your presents after that." Erik's eyebrows twitched up. "Presents, you say?" Amanda could help the giggle that escaped her lips. It was just too adorable, how such a supposedly tough men could instantly become five years old again at the first mention of possibly getting a gift. He shot her a look, but it didn't make her stop smiling.

Luckily, the chicken was still warm as everyone filled their plates. At one point, Riptide told Amanda, "How can you say you're not good in the kitchen? This is amazing." She blushed. Charles, who sat to her left, put his arm around her and said, "Why do you always sell your talents so short?" "I just…I-I don't want to seem like I'm bragging." Then, Erik said, "Well, this is _definitely_ something worth bragging over. This was a wonderful meal, Amanda. Thank you." He smiled as he gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. She smiled back, trying desperately to ignore how her skin burned from his touch, even after he'd removed his hand. Raven and Angel echoed his sentiments, with the first saying simply, "Totally, and the second saying, "This was _awesome_, sweetie." Charles then clapped his hands, telling the group, "Okay, well, since _this_ part's done, it's _now_ time for the most important part of _any_ good birthday party."

Everyone gave Erik cards, but only a few were able to get him actual presents. Some were more on the practical side, like an expensive set of fountain pens from Charles, and a coordinating package of stationary from Raven. Hank bought him cuff links, and Sean bought him a watch. Amanda hid the eye-roll she gave over the irony, knowing that these were gifts she, herself, had considered buying. Everyone was shocked when Alex, of all people, gave Erik a gift as well: a fancy jeweled, slightly-bigger-than-average pocket knife. "To help you practice your powers, man", he said in an uneasy voice. The metal-bender clapped him on the arm in thanks, but it didn't make the teenager any more comfortable. Finally, it was time for the moment Amanda had been both looking forward to and dreading. Swallowing hard, she geared up her courage and tapped Erik's shoulder. "Um…I have something for you, too."

With many sets of eyes on her, Amanda stood up and went over to the kitchen counter, where she'd left the gift. She was shaking as she picked it up and started walking back. Her hand was shaking tiny bit as she passed it over to him. "Here." Erik tried to diffuse her nervous mood by flashing a toothy smile and asking, "Why so scared? Is it the Holy Grail or something?" The plan worked, with the empath giggling while he undid the wrapping. Her heart began racing again, though, as she watched him open the box. Instantly, his whole demeanor changed. The muscles in his face relaxed, showing a mix of surprise and…awe, perhaps? Nearly breathless, he turned to Amanda and asked, "Where did you find this?" "A jewelry store in town. I bought it on Monday. And look, it's got your birthstone, too." He looked back at the necklace, the corners of his mouth twitching up. "So it does." He released his grip on it ever so slightly, allowing everyone to see it was a Star of David.

Amanda touched his forearm to get his attention back. She told him, "If we don't have to hide our mutations here, we shouldn't have to hide our faith, either." He smiled, but his eyes were clearly getting a little misty. The tender mood was broken, however, by a sudden realization. Whether or not she knew it, the way she leaned towards Erik gave him a very good view down her dress. He felt the now-familiar sensation of cold sweat, prickling at his temples. He ground his teeth together, even biting the inside of his cheek in the hope that the pain would distract him. Shameless voyeur, indeed. He kept mentally repeating, "You're in a crowded room. You're in a crowded room." Clearing his throat, he quickly stood up and said, "So, where are we going to have the cake? I highly doubt all the students will be able to fit in here." Charles told him, "We're going to the auditorium. That has _plenty_ of room."

Three of the girls went back into the kitchen, opening the fridge to get the desserts. Raven held the cake, while Angel and Emma held the four trays of muffins. Azazel and Riptide handled the two coolers of sodas. As they began their trek to the auditorium, Amanda briefly glanced over her shoulder, and she was puzzled by what she saw. Charles suddenly reached out and grabbed Erik's wrist, staring at him strangely. She saw Erik mouth the word "what", shrugging his shoulders as he pulled away. His walking sped up as he moved past her to the front of the group.

The rest of the party turned out great. Children began filing in not long after the dessert table was set up. A couple of them even had presents for Erik. Avery, who was an expert painter, made him a picture of a lighthouse. Its beam scanned across the ocean as the sun was going down. It struck a strange chord in the metal-bender's heart, a kind of symbolism he just couldn't place yet. Quinn Fletcher gave a similar gift, a tiny boat that floated around an island inside a bottle. Little Rory Munroe's gift nearly got its receiver choked up: a dried circle of clay with her handprint pressed into it, with her named carved on the top. She'd used dark blue beads, in imitation of sapphires, to form tiny E's around the border.

At last, the second-most-looked-forward-to moment arrived. Amanda watched as Sean and Alex began dimming the lights, and Raven walked out of the concession area with the fully-lit cake in her arms. They'd managed to arrange the small candles to form the number thirty-two at the top, right above where the words "Happy Birthday, Erik" were written in red icing. Amanda gave an inward sigh of relief as she thought about the cake itself, recalling that he, thankfully, wasn't allergic to strawberries. Just as was promised days ago, everyone stood close together as they joined in the traditional song. She saw the smile that teased at the corners of his mouth, his face a mix of joy, gratitude, and sheer disbelief. The way the candles flickered made his eyes almost seem to glow. Those same eyes briefly became vacant, a clear indication that he was reminiscing.

Amanda could feel the waves of emotion pouring off of him. It was undoubtedly a happy time, probably something to do with his mother. Stealing a brief glance at her brother, her suspicion was confirmed by a quick nod. Charles subtly pressed two fingers to his temple, accessing the memory and projecting it into her mind. It was the Hanukah party she'd seen last week, when she'd touched the brand on his arm while he was sick. Erik was wondering what it would be like if his mother was around to share this moment with him, and frankly, Amanda couldn't blame him for that. She sighed and reached out, gently patting his shoulder before moving a few feet away. As she looked up a minute later, she realized that Erik was staring directly at her.

There was a strange kind of intensity in his eyes, one that she couldn't understand or describe. She was grateful for the area's dim lighting, since it hid the brilliant scarlet blush she just knew was in her cheeks. All she could do was smile, shyly tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he smiled back. She quickly walked back to his side as the last bit of the song finished, and the birthday boy was urged by Raven to "blow out the candles and make a wish". He did so, and while everyone was distracted in their collective applause, he turned to Amanda and whispered cryptically, "We'll talk about this later." The group looked on proudly as Erik made the first cut into his cake, a smile plastered from ear-to-ear. After that, everybody tucked in and got one overload of a sugar fix.

_**AN: "We'll talk about this later." Hmm...wonder what that could mean. Sounds like he's got something specific in-mind. As always, be kind in your reviews, okay?**_


	17. Unwinding

_**AN: I tried to upload this particular chapter as soon as I possibly could. The ending of the previous one just left me w/ such a rush. I'd say Erik & Amanda feel the same way, as a tender, sweet moment of bonding gets heated.**_

The sun was nearly gone when everyone started the trek back to the main house. While the students age thirteen and up chatted amongst themselves, the younger ones shuffled slowly alongside the adults. Charles carried one of them on his lap, while Amanda balanced one on each hip. Erik even had one on his back, and he was trying not to laugh over the awkwardness of it. He caught the empath staring and winked at her, pleased when it made her giggle. Amanda didn't get a real chance to relax from the events of the day until roughly two hours later, once all the mess was cleaned up, and most of the students were in bed. She was shocked when her normally-night-owl siblings, along with most of both of Charles and Erik's groups, followed suit. Hank, however, was a bit antsy, so he went to his lab to check some left-over data from his most recent experiment. Once she finally got a moment alone, Amanda took off her boots, slumping down onto one of the couches in the library. Running her right hand over her face, she let out an exhausted huff of breath.

Not wanting to do anything except zone out, she turned on the television and placed a pillow on the coffee table in front of her, propping her very achy feet upon it. Amanda became so wrapped up in the movie she was watching, that she didn't hear the footsteps coming up behind her. A tall shadow fell across her back. Nervous, she looked up, but she smiled when she realized who it was. "I thought you'd be asleep by now, birthday boy, tuckered out from all that partying." "Believe me, I _am_ tired. I was just looking for a way to…unwind a bit." Erik smiled as he dropped has backpack, holding up two bottles of expensive-looking beer with his opposite hand. Amanda's eyebrows rose in curiosity. This would be another first, since she'd never actually tried beer before. She scooted slightly to her left, patting the cushion beside her as she told him, "Have a seat."

While Erik took the caps off the bottles, she caught sight of the silver glint inside his shirt, giving an inward "aw" as she recognized the necklace she'd given him. When he passed her one of the beers, he told her, "I still can't believe you did that for me." "Everyone deserves to enjoy themselves on their birthday. You sure _looked_ like you were having a good time." "No, I did. I really did. It just…conjured up some things from my past. That's all." "Like what?" He didn't answer, so she scooted closer and asked, "Would those things happen to include…memories of your mother, perhaps?" A shift in the air told her she'd guessed correctly. His head snapped up, and he instantly turned to face her. Just to make sure he wasn't angry, she put an arm around him and said, "I think she would've been overjoyed to see you so happy, smiling like that. I know _I_ was." He gave a slight smile, reaching around and patting the back of her hand in thanks. They were quiet for a minute before she asked, "Hey, since I've got my wallet with me, would you like to see pictures of _my_ mother?" He responded by reaching into his back pocket and taking out his own wallet. "I wouldn't mind at all."

Once she'd picked a good photo, she handed it to Erik and said, "This is her. Her name was Sandy." He accepted the photo without question and began studying it intently. It was taken at a high-school graduation. In her cap and gown, Amanda stood beside her mother, smiling proudly with her diploma tucked under her right arm. Sandy Green appeared to be in her late thirties with long, wavy blond hair. She had the same green eyes as her daughter, along with her smile and the shape of her nose. There was a gleam in the woman's eyes that said she was spunky and caring, someone who loved to have a good time. They looked so happy in that captured moment. It was so hard to fathom that Sandy was killed one year, four months, and three weeks later. As Erik moved to hand the photo back, Amanda stopped him. "No, it's okay. I have a copy of that one. You can keep it." He smiled as he placed the picture into his wallet, then taking out another and passing it to her. "A fair trade, then", he said, "_This_ is _my_ family."

Amanda saw the differences between this portrait and her own, meaning that there were five people in it instead of two, and this one was in black-and-white. A couple in their early-to-mid-forties stood in the background. Two young boys between the ages of seven and fifteen were in front of them. Edie Lehnsherr had an open, gentle face, with dark almond-shaped eyes. She was balancing a small girl, somewhere between the infant and toddler stages, on her hip. Her hair was covered slightly by a scarf, and a full smile split her face in half. "You have her smile. I've never seen one trait from a parent so completely and perfectly replicated in their child", Amanda said as she glanced at Erik. He chuckled under his breath, leaning closer to her to look at the picture.

This time, she wasn't nervous when his arm around her waist, unlike last night on the roof. He pointed to each person in the photo and said, "That's my father, Joseph. He was a very good business man, always knowing precisely how to talk to people." "You mean he was charming. Sounds familiar." She giggled when he gave her a playful, light shove. Erik's attention then moved to the three children shown. He first pointed to the smaller of the two boys. "That's my younger brother, Max. He was very energetic and had such a fiery personality, fiercely loyal to those he cared about. He followed me everywhere, wanting to copy everything I did. He died a couple of months after this from pneumonia." Amanda felt compelled to squeeze his hand, which earned another tiny smile. He went on to explain, "During my travels, I'd often use his name, coupled with my mother's maiden name, as my own. It helped me hide, protecting me when I had a difficult mission to complete."

Then, the metal-bender's focus moved to the baby girl. "That's my little sister, Elena. Even for a child of such a young age, she was so intelligent and very aware of the world around her. She was always laughing, over the stupidest things at times. My parents used to joke that they were jealous of me, because if she was having a crying fit, she wouldn't stop until _I_ held her." This meant he was great with young children, a fact which was oddly comforting for Amanda to know. There was something else on her mind, though. She knew it was bound to be a tender subject, but the question needed to be asked anyway. "I know about your mom and brother, but…but what about your dad and sister? What happened to _them_?"

She expected Erik to balk at her curiosity, perhaps become angry, either refusing to answer her or getting up and stomping out of the room. He surprised her with his relative calmness, saying, "Father died of a heart attack not long after Max passed. Mother said depression, stemming from grief, was what caused it. Everything happened in quick succession after that. By then, the Nazis were making their way towards the area we lived in. Mother wanted to protect Elena, so she sent her out of the country to live with relatives. She probably would sent me off, too, but never got the chance. I never saw my sister again. I turned fourteen, and by winter, we were taken to a camp in Poland. You already know how the story progressed from there."

Erik's voice had now become cracked and a bit shaky, meaning he was trying to keep himself from crying. He was trying to be so tough and strong in front of her, and it frustrated Amanda to no end. Rather than leaving like she thought he would, he softly said, "Excuse me" and reached behind the couch, picking up the backpack he'd left there earlier. He unzipped it and took out a strange-looking reddish-purple metal helmet. She'd seen it briefly when she'd brought him the soup during his illness, hanging in his closet next to a matching jacket. She just never knew its purpose. Noticing how she stared. He told her simply, "It's for protection."

As he put it on, he continued, "I use it when I need some mental privacy." Amanda sighed, a certain realization coming over her. "You use it to block out my brother, don't you?" "What makes you—" "You only have a cordial relationship with Emma, so I know it's not her." Erik could only stare at her in amazement, his black-ringed ice-blue eyes piercing straight into the depths of her soul. Not even Charles had such an easy time figuring him out, and he had a brilliance that could probably rival Einstein's. Amanda held his gaze with equal strength, her face betraying nothing. She only looked away for the briefest of moments, swallowing hard and allowing a shaky sigh to escape her lips. When she turned back, she moved even closer to him on the couch, the closest she'd been to him all night.

Amanda looked down to where his hands rested on his left leg, taking them in both of hers. She felt him gently squeeze, which made her give a tiny smile. Finally, she said softly, "Erik, please…promise me one thing, and I'll never ask you for anything else ever again." He tilted his head, silently asking what she meant. She continued, "I may not like how you try to block others from seeing the real you, including Charlie, who clearly loves you as a brother, but I suppose I can understand why. Just promise that you'll never feel the need to do that to _me_." He started to look away, but she reached out and put her hand on his shoulder, forcing him to make eye contact with her again.

Trying to rein in her nerves, Amanda moved her opposite hand to the corresponding shoulder. Slowly, she slid her hands upwards, her fingers curling under the bottom of the helmet. As she lifted it off his head, she told him, "Don't shut me out, Erik. You'll never have a reason to. I promise." He didn't even try to stop her, keeping silent as she placed the helmet on the coffee table. Noting the unshed tears in the corners of his eyes, she then reached up and cupped the right side of his face, once more begging, "Don't shut me out." Erik was speechless, and that was definitely saying something for a man known for being so fiercely open with his opinions. His reaction was to cover her hand with his, holding it in place as he turned slightly and gave a gentle, fluttering kiss against the pulse-point of her wrist. His eyes kept flicking back-and-forth, between the subtle throbbing under her skin there and the blush in her cheeks. Both of them were well-aware of the mutual effect that was slowly setting in.

The moment was broken by the sound of a television announcer saying, "And now, we present one of Claude Rains' most famous films, 'The Invisible Man'." That definitely got Amanda's attention. She'd heard how dark that movie supposedly was, but also how funny it was, and she'd looked forward to one day seeing it. Having Erik here to share it with her made it all the more special. She smiled and asked, "Are you interested in that?" He glanced at the television, gave a small smile of his own, and replied, "Sure. Claude Rains has always been one of my favorite actors."

Amanda moved to go back to the other side of the couch, but Erik stopped her by saying, "Don't. It's getting a bit chilly in here. We wouldn't want you to catch cold, would we?" He didn't give her a chance to ask what he meant, grabbing a blanket from a nearby armchair and throwing it across both of their laps. He gestured for her to move closer, arms open as he told her, "Come here. It's okay." Her nerves dissipated as she snuggled against his lean, warm chest, sighing contentedly. Chuckling under his breath, he asked teasingly, "Are you comfy _now_?" Knowing what incident he referred to, she giggled and replied in a whisper-like tone, "Shut up."

The evening passed rather uneventfully, in a very calm mood. Both Erik and Amanda were greatly enjoying the movie, laughing hard at certain scenes. They watched as Claude's character, Dr. Jack Griffin, stripped off his bandages, sunglasses, and fake nose and began throwing them at the gawking group in front of him. He then pranced down the stairs and out of the inn, laughing maniacally. A second funny moment came later, when a disembodied pair of pants skipped down a leaf-covered road, the man wearing them whistling "Here We Go, Gathering Nuts in May". And a third happened when Jack dumped a bucket of money down onto a desperate crowd. The intrigue and blackmail kept their hearts beating wildly in excitement, and the death scene at the close of the film nearly made Amanda cry. She imagined leaning over Erik in the same way as he took his final breaths, the mere thought being equal to having her heart ripped out of her chest. She didn't know it, but the man holding her was thinking the exact same thing. Erik prided himself on being to in-control, so independent. He didn't want to need anyone. In fact, he hated the very notion of it. But Heaven help him, he needed Amanda Xavier. She was, for a lack of a better description, his everything. If something happened to her, he'd never recover.

As the credits began to roll, Amanda pushed the blanket away and sat up to stretch her arms. Glancing at Erik, she realized that he'd dozed off a bit. She took note of the tiny lines starting to form at the corners of his eyes, which gave a great mental image of what he'd look like as an older man. She pictured his hair getting slightly longer, but not sickeningly thin, and turning a shiny moonlight-grey. All the years of tenseness and world-weariness would definitely show on his face. He'd still be handsome, but that wasn't something so important to her. No matter what, he'd forever be her Erik, and she now had no problem admitting that to herself.

Her mind was still wandering when she heard a soft, mumbling voice say, "Staring isn't polite, you know." She squeaked in surprise, Erik looking up with a sneaky smile. His teeth were clamped down on his bottom lip, and he seemed to be twitching a lot, which didn't escape Amanda's notice. "Is that snickering? Are you _laughing_ at me?" He straightened in his seat and said, "I love when you get startled like that. You make the most adorable noises." "Oh, you're so mean! _So_ mean!" He grabbed her wrists and held them down to the cushions. "Let's not get violent now, Lady X. We've been having a good time so far." Meanwhile, another movie had started on the television: "The Maltese Falcon", but the pair barely paid attention to the opening scenes.

Amanda was still holding the picture of Erik's family in her hand. She sighed and said, "Your mother seems like she was a very sweet woman, but I don't know if she'd have liked me that much." "What makes you say that? I think she'd adore you." "Well, I just wouldn't want an argument over religious faith. You know I'm Catholic, right?" "Yes, you did tell me that, but…Amanda, we had several friends back home, and not all of them were Jewish. Mother never openly discussed our faith with anyone." "That's because she wasn't able to, Erik. Those…for the sake of politeness, 'jerks', didn't allow it." He chuckled under his breath at her word choice before saying, "Even if she did have the power to voice her opinions, she was actually quite tolerant of other peoples' religions. Before the Nazis came to power, she was glad to answer if someone asked a question, but it never went beyond that."

They were quiet a minute, during which time Amanda thought over the irony of Erik's words. He'd basically said his mom never forced her faith down anyone's throat, yet he did that very thing with his mutation. It took a lot for him to befriend a human, and he was fast-becoming the exact opposite of tolerant. She didn't know if he realized that or not, but she didn't want to know at that point. She was too tired for it. Instead, she phrased her thoughts in a different way, telling him, "I'm sorry you have to see this whole cycle repeat itself. You know, the whole discrimination thing. I mean, first it was your religion, and now it's your gift." Erik's voice immediately took on a much more serious tone. "The cycle _won't_ repeat itself. I'll make _sure_ of that." "But people will always have different standard of beauty, Erik, no matter _what_ else is going on. I mean, it's more so in regards to how men view women. Some guys have a favorite body part. Some guys prefer blonds to brunettes, and-" "I don't."

"You don't _what_", she asked, slightly flustered by his interruption. Erik scooted closer, another sneaky smile creeping across his face. He slowly reached out, running his fingers through her ponytail. "_I_ don't prefer blonds to brunettes. To _me_, there's just something special about a woman with dark hair. It makes her look more mysterious and…_enticing_." His knuckle grazed her jaw, causing a shudder to run through her. She said softly, "That's…T-That's good to know." "Yes, it is."

Amanda didn't know what to do. Her body wasn't listening to her mind anymore. His right hand came to rest on the small of her back, gently pulling her close, while his left one cupped the back of her neck. A sharp gasp escaped her as he pressed his lips to the bare curve of her neck. Delicate touches peppered their way up the column of her throat. If this were a vampire movie, he'd have bitten her by now. It was an unspoken wish that had her heart racing, and it was answered by a sudden and light, yet firm tug on her earlobe. Amanda's left hand instantly flew into his hair, cupping the back of his head. Her opposite hand tightly clutched his shirt collar. She was breathless as a barely-audible whimper of longing passed her lips: "Erik…" "What", he whispered back, tilting his head into position. Hers did, too, their lips slowly parting in anticipation as they leaned towards each towards each other. They were so close. Each beat of their hearts pounded loudly in their ears. Each breath was coming out hot and quick, slightly strangled and choked with emotion. Just one millimeter more…

A mischievous, childish giggle interrupted them, making them jump apart. Amanda asked softly, "Please, tell me that wasn't my brother." "No, it can't be. Charles has been in bed for a while now. You can hear his dreadful snoring, practically all over the mansion." Despite herself, she giggled and playfully smacked his knee, squealing when he grabbed her wrist again. She then asked, "If it's not Charlie, then who could be our sneaky little visitor?" As her eyes scanned the room, from the corner of her left eye, she noticed Erik cross his legs with a suddenly nervous look on his face. She chose to ignore it, though.

Just then, a quick bit of movement caught Amanda's attention. The flash of a Peter Pan nightgown was a dead giveaway. She questioned into the darkness, "Rosie? Rosie, sweetheart, is that you?" There was no response. She briefly glanced at Erik, who nodded that it was okay for her to get up. She walked towards a certain spot, where a decorative vase sat atop a medium-sized Roman-style column. In mock-annoyance, she put her hands on her hip and began tapping her foot, clearing her throat several times. Slowly, a tiny shape emerged from behind the column: the sleep-tousled form of a seven-year-old girl. "Rosie McGill, what are you doing out of bed so late?" The child looked over Amanda's shoulder at Erik, who merely shrugged. Returning her attention to the older girl, she said, "I got really thirsty, so I used Pafesser Zaver's elevator to get to the kitsen. But then, I heard a telvisin on." "How do you know how to use the elevator?" "The pafesser showed me." "Okay, well…what _exactly_ did you see?"

There was a pause, which unnerved her. The absolute last thing she needed was a chatty student, blabbing everything to Charles, however much she adored said student. Rosie replied, "You and Misser Erik were cuddling, and it looked like kissy." Amanda laughed, and she could sense doing the same behind her, but trying to hide it. "You need to learn to not scare people like that, especially at this time of night. I'm a big girl, so I get to do special things, okay? You'll be the same way when you get older." She crouched to the child's level and continued, "I'll tell you what. I'll get you a water _bottle_ from the kitchen, so you don't have to come back down here if you get thirsty again. But after that, you have to go _straight_ back upstairs and get to bed. Did Charlie teach you how to use the proper mental blocks?" When Rosie nodded, Amanda told her, "You should put them to good use. You've got to _promise_ that you won't tell _anyone_ what you saw tonight." "I promise, Miss 'Manda. Thank you for helping me." "It's no problem, munchkin. Now, come on. Let's get you that water."

Later, once Rosie had been sent back upstairs, Amanda leaned on the library doorframe, again exhausted beyond belief. She gave a wavy, tired smile at Erik, who could only laugh and shake his head at her. "What?" He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Special things?" "Oh, hush." "_Hush_? You are spending _way_ too much time with your brother." She giggled and started moving back towards the couch. He couldn't take his eyes off her. He loved such subtle things about Amanda, like the funny way her ponytail swayed as she walked. However, at that moment, Erik seemed to lose all breath in his body when he noticed her hips swayed along _with_ it. He thought, "If I don't calm my mind, there's _one_ person I _really_ don't want to wake up. Please, don't let her touch me right now. Please, don't-"

The purr came out before he could stop it: "Mmm…nice." Amanda smiled lazily, twirling a lock of his hair around her index and middle fingers. She was leaning over the back of the couch, resting most of her weight on her left arm. Nibbling at her bottom lip, she was happy to stay like that for a while, their eyes locked in a relaxed, lingering stare. At one point, Erik grazed a curved knuckle along her jaw, flashing a bit of teeth as she flexed her fingertips against his scalp. Unfortunately, the spell was broken when Amanda adjusted her arm. It pressed against the side of her chest, accidentally fluffing the area and unknowingly giving the metal-bender an even better view than the one earlier. It made him shake, borderline-violently so. His last nerve was one fray from snapping completely. This go 'round, he didn't have time to stop his body's reaction, but he still didn't want her to be embarrassed by seeing it. He quickly threw off the blanket and stood up, his back to her.

"Are you okay, Erik?" He cleared his throat. It took every miniscule ounce of self-control he possessed to keep his composure. "What was that?" "I asked if you were okay." "Oh, um, yes. Yes, I'm fine. Thanks. I just need to step out for a smoke. That's all." Amanda noticed how his hands remained on his hips, his fingers visibly trembling as they dug into his skin through his pants. Tucking a curl behind her ear, she asked, "Are you sure?" He waved her off. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thank you very much for a lovely birthday. You can go on off to bed now." He glanced over his shoulder, finding that she now stood in the doorway with an uncertain look on her face. "It's alright. Go." She shrugged her shoulders and mumbled, "O-Okay. I…guess I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good night, Erik." "Good night."

As Amanda began walking up the stairs, she was confused out of her mind. That is, until she chose to steal one last glance at Erik. He seemed to feel her staring at him, because he turned his shoulders ever so slightly, his gaze meeting hers dead-on. He was breathing heavily. There was one more thing, too, an image she didn't think she'd ever forget: Erik's beautiful blue eyes had turned jet-black. He looked, for lack of a better word, hungry, and not for food. His stance was practically screaming, "You have ten seconds to get moving and get away, or I'm coming up after you, consequences be damned." It was a little scary, leaving her breathless again. She'd never had that kind of power of a man before. She didn't know such intense desire was even possible. As she finally reached the top of the staircase, she heard him curse loudly in his native German, which was perfect to lighten her mood. She was giggling under her breath as she walked up the final two flights of stairs.

When she reached her bedroom door, Amanda spotted her sister in the hallway in her bathrobe. She must've heard Erik swearing. Shrugging her shoulders as if to say, "I don't know what's going on", she went into her room and closed the door behind her. It was quick work to wash off her makeup and change into her pajamas. After hitting the pillow, Amanda's dreams were filled with previous close-calls and images of what could've been.

_**AN: Panting from the simmer yet? I know I got a little flushed. I'm not quite ready for them to have their first on-lips kiss yet. They don't seem like a couple who will follow convention, so when it does happen, it won't fall into the traditions of most movie kisses. Please, be kind in your reviews, alright? Thank you.**_


	18. Returning The Favor

_**AN: Just a little tide-over to bridge the gap until the mansion's next big event. **_

Amanda didn't have time to get out of bed the next morning, before Raven came barreling through her door and landing hard on her mattress. "Good morning. Now, _spill_. What happened between you and Magneto last night?" "Not so _loud_, would you?" Amanda ran to her door and quickly shut it, her eyes wide with nervousness. As she walked back, she said, "We watched a movie and talked about our families. That's all." "Really? Your cheeks say otherwise. Oh, don't look at me like that. You're not the only one who's a little tense this morning. Your man was more anxious than usual when I saw him having breakfast." When her sister didn't answer, she said, "It's okay, you know. You can tell me if something happened. I promise, I won't tell anyone." "But nothing _did_ happen." "Ugh, okay, _fine_."

Amanda took a deep breath and continued, "He complimented me on my hair first. Everything seemed to freeze around us. He slid his arms around me, pulling me closer. He kissed my neck a couple times, and was going for my mouth when Rosie interrupted us. After that, he stood up and wouldn't turn around again to look at me. All he did was thank me for the party, say he was going outside for a cigarette, and told me to go to bed. But…" "But what?" "Just as I was going up the first flight of stairs, I saw him looking over his shoulder at me. His eyes, they were…they were _black_. It was actually kind of scary." Seeing her sister's confused face, she decided to try something she'd never done with her powers before.

She placed her hands on both sides of Raven's head, drawing upon every feeling she'd had with Erik last night, and she used those feelings to create mental pictures. After a while, the morphing girl grabbed her wrists and nudged her away, saying, "Amanda, look, I know I _pretend_ to be such a big expert on male behavior, but even _I_ know what _that_ means." She paused before finishing, "If that kid hadn't interrupted when she did, I _guarantee_ you, more would've happened than _just_ a _kiss_. Now, the real question is how knowing that makes you feel."

To be honest, Amanda didn't _know_ how to feel. She was going to be nineteen in a few days. She was a grown woman. She could do what she wanted. But what were the consequences of that power? If things had gone a little farther than planned last night, would she have been able to deal with the fallout? Last night, she'd dreamed that the kiss had indeed taken place…plus a bit more. She blushed as she recalled how Dream-Erik's fingers had twisted in her hair, gently messaging her scalp as he passionately pressed his lips against hers over and over, and how his opposite hand had cradled her back. Despite being in the dating game since the age of fifteen, Amanda had never felt this way about any of her previous boyfriends before. It was equal parts scary and enticing. Seeing the confusion on her face, Raven said, "If I were you, I'd set some ground rules, just in case something like this happens again. As much as I care for Erik, I won't have him getting too hands-y with my sister without her okay." They shared a giggle before heading down to breakfast, but their discussion remained in Amanda's mind for the rest of the day. Meanwhile, Erik seemed to have become a ghost in the house for her, but that was okay for now. She needed the time to relax.

Soon enough, it was October second. Amanda's birthday was two days away, and it was driving Erik crazy. Her gift to him had put him back in-touch with a long-forgotten side of his personality. How could he repay her for that? Charles would see him fidgeting over this question and couldn't help but laugh every time. The metal-bender would reply things like "It's not funny" as he walked past him. Finally, the answer came to him as he was washing up for dinner. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, noticing his necklace sparkled in the bathroom's lighting. Amanda's words from the party echoed in his mind: "If we don't have to hide our mutations here, we shouldn't have to hide our faith, either." And therein lay his answer. He mumbled to himself, "She honored my religion, so I'll honor hers."

Knowing she was in a training session and would be distracted for a while, Erik left a note for Charles and rode his bike into town, stopping at a small Christian-themed gift-shop. It had books, greeting cards, music tapes and records, clothing, perfume, and several kinds of knickknacks for home decoration. When he got to the jewelry cases, an older man asked what he was looking for. He touched the Star of David around his neck and replied, "A special woman gave me this. I want to find a reflection for it." The man nodded in understanding, before leading him to a case marked "Gems for Every Month".

His attention was caught immediately by a stunning silver cross, lined with a kind of stone the store's owner said was called opal. Erik was mesmerized. While the stone itself at first appeared to be a cloudy pale color, it shimmered with all kinds of colors when held in direct sunlight. Different shades of purple, orange, green, and pink danced around its surface. It was crazy, eclectic, and dazzling. It also happened to be the birthstone for October. This was perfect for Amanda. His mind was in a fog as he paid for the cross. He tucked the box containing it inside his jacket pocket, walking back to his motorcycle and returning to the mansion. The first thing he thought of was to show Charles, but decided against it. After all, it was a birthday gift, not an engagement ring. "Not yet", a voice in the back of his head whispered. He was quick to brush it off. Once dinner was done, Amanda went to bed early, complaining of a sinus headache. After that, Erik became involved in a conversation about what to do for her party.

At one point, Charles said, "As much as Mandy-lou loves this house, I don't think she'd want to celebrate here. She's got so much energy, and we need to find a place to suit that." Everyone was quiet for a while as they thought it over, until Raven finally said, "Hey, what about that new place that just opened up in town, the Game and Grub? They've got pizza, popcorn, cheese fries, cotton candy, and all other kinds of junk food. They've also got an indoor playground, a roller rink, and an arcade, too. It's really popular and has been getting great reviews. We could make up some type of excuse, like we're taking the students on a field trip or something." Sean chimed in with, "Yeah. We could give her cards in the morning, and we'll trick her into thinking that's all she's getting. She'll never suspect a thing."

Charles was impressed, and he said so. He then turned to Erik and asked, "What about you, my friend?" "What about me?" "I was wondering if you had any opinions on the matter, any ideas on what we could do." He was silent a moment before saying, "I'm okay at making pancakes. There's a recipe I found recently that I think she'll like. She's a girl of simple tastes, so she should be happy with just a nice breakfast and some acknowledgement of the day itself. So, the trip should be a good extra surprise." Erik had tried to keep his tone neutral, but his friend wasn't fooled. Charles saw in the older man's eyes how eager he was to impress Amanda. Things were changing between the two, and quickly, but the telepath was still more inclined to keep an observation approach for now.

The next day passed relatively quietly, with Amanda helping her brother in one of his literature classes. The students were in the lesson block involving classic novels, and Charles had just announced an upcoming test on _War of the Worlds_. He'd laughed under his breath when the class groaned, later revealing that their next lessons would focus on the Sherlock Holmes stories. Hearing the story, Amanda found herself smiling, too. She often wondered if Charles picked the books his classes studied for specific reasons, since many of them mirrored the real-life issues and struggles faced by mutants. She must've been projecting her thoughts a bit too loud, because he flicked his eyes sideways at her and winked.

Later on, she was helping him grade papers in his study, something she loved to do. She was actually considering joining him and Hank as a teacher, though she was unsure of what subject to pick. When she voiced this to Charles, he told her, "Well, you told me that you got into college on a writing scholarship, and you still seem to enjoy that. Maybe, you could head a creative-writing class. I think the students would really like it." She replied that she'd think about it further after her birthday tomorrow, which almost made her brother choke on his brandy. She asked if he was okay, but he waved her off.

Amanda was filling a glass for herself, when a student named Brittney Hawkins walked in. The girl was eleven, and her mutation involved being able to burn anyone who touched her without permission. It worked a bit like the burners on an oven. Peeking in the doorway, she said, "Oh, I'm so sorry, professor. I didn't know you were in a meeting. I-I'll just come back later." "It's quite alright, Miss Hawkins. I was almost done with my papers anyway. What is it that you need my help with?" He didn't notice how his sister was smiling at him. This was so typical of Charles, to drop whatever else he was doing if a student, or anyone else for that matter, needed help. It was sometimes hard to believe that someone so young could have so much wisdom.

She listened as Brittney replied, "I know I've been out of class sick these past couple of days, and I wanted to see about doing some extra credit." He told her, "I'm proud of you for taking the initiative. It's a fine quality to have. I don't have any spare projects or lesson plans available at the moment, but…perhaps you can do the same thing as Amanda here, and help me keep my papers and other files organized. If you think you can handle being my secretary for two weeks, I'll see how I can help you on your grades. And maybe, I could even get one of the older students to tutor you. How does that sound?" "_Awesome_! I'll start next Monday. Thank you _so_ much." She was practically skipping as she left the study. Once she was gone, the siblings looked at each other and for some strange reason, burst out laughing. It was fun, trying to keep balance between serious and silly.

The next morning, Amanda woke up to find that two birthday cards had been slid under door. They were from her brother and sister. She decided to read Charles's first, since was older. His words touched her heart: "I'm not an overly religious man, darling, but I did say a prayer the morning you arrived here. I prayed that something would come along to break up the monotony I'd become accustomed to since losing my legs. There were a lot of possibilities, but I didn't think He'd send me an angel. I felt you coming before I saw your face, and the instant connection between us warmed my soul beyond what I'd thought was even possible. I enjoy the conversations we have every day, both the intellectual and the ones just for fun. Ask anyone here, and they'll tell you that I haven't been this happy in a long time. This is the first birthday I'm fortunate enough to share with you, and I look forward to many more in the future. Enjoy your day, little sister. Love, Charlie."

With tears in her eyes, she then moved on to Raven's card. The message there was shorter, but equally as sweet. It said, "I used to think Charles and I would be alone forever, even as we started finding more people like us. It felt like our family was complete once you came. You've brought a ray of sunshine to this place, and we couldn't be more thankful. In all my dreams of having a sister, I never thought I'd get one like you. Happy Birthday. Sniffling, she placed both cards on her dresser, before braiding her hair and throwing on her bathrobe as she headed downstairs.

A sweet smell reached her nose as she approached the kitchen. Once she opened the door a bit, she saw something that surprised her: Erik had his back to her and was bent slightly over the stove, focused entirely on whatever he was making. Dressed in a long-sleeved grey t-shirt and those rare blue jeans, he seemed completely oblivious to anything else around him. It pleased Amanda's secret inner cavewoman to see how said jeans clung to…she immediately shook her head to clear her thoughts. Looking to her right, she saw her siblings at the dining room table. They spotted her as soon as she fully opened the door. Before either of them could speak, she walked towards them with open arms and said, "You guys are too much."

She got to Raven first, smiling as she hugged the morphing girl tightly. She whispered under her breath, "I wish my mom were here to meet you guys, to see all this and see how happy I am." "I know." Charles's sapphire eyes were filled with understanding. He dragged a chair to his side and mouthed the words "come here". Amanda rushed to him without hesitation. She slid her arms around him, finally allowing the tears to come. He held her tightly, whispering soothing words as she quietly cried into his shoulder. "It's alright, Mandy-lou. This is supposed to be a happy day. You've got to keep your spirits up for the field trip later. The students will panic is they see you so upset." As she pulled away, he managed a soft, wavy smile and gave a light, playful tap to the tip of her nose. She giggled as she kissed his cheek and stood up.

Erik caught her eye as she took her seat, a sneaky smile on his face as he asked, "Ready for breakfast?" "You _cooked_ for me? Wow, that's…that's very _sweet_. Thank you so much." He winked at her, causing her to blush as he set the plate down in front of her. Amanda's face split in a wide smile. He'd made her pancakes, but not just any pancakes. These had chocolate chips and bits of coconut in them, smelled of cinnamon, and had chocolate syrup drizzled over them instead of maple. The smell alone had her salivating. "What is this?" "Well…" Erik pulled his chair to be next to hers, sitting down before continuing, "Call it my attempt at combining an all-American food with a classic dessert from my homeland." She understood what he meant. He'd made German chocolate cake into pancake form just for her. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek in thanks. No one could fault her for it, but she did take note of the brief dilation of his pupils.

More people filtered into the dining area as she began tucking into her rather delicious-looking meal, each one wishing her a happy birthday. Somewhere along the way, Erik secretly passed her a note under the table. Amanda waited until nobody was paying attention before reading it. The note said simply, "Meet me in the library in ten minutes." Once she was finished with her second glass of orange juice, she quietly and carefully snuck away from the group.

Thankfully, the library was quiet when she got there, but that did nothing to ease her nervous mind. Looking around, she mumbled "What is he planning" under her breath. Suddenly, she saw a curtain move from the corner of her eye, and she sighed in relief when Erik stepped out from behind it. "Don't _scare_ me like that, _especially_ not today." He smiled and mumbled an apology before saying, "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Seeing her confusion, he moved closer and put his hands on her shoulders. "I heard you mention your mother, and I would've been a complete _fool_ to not hear you crying to Charles. I just wanted to let you know that you can…include _me_ in the group of people you can talk to about her. You did it for me, so let me do the same for you." "Oh, Erik…" Amanda was so moved, that she didn't know how to respond. He chuckled softly as he drew her in for a hug.

Thinking of her mother again brought on a fresh round of tears. Erik held her tightly to comfort her, rubbing gentle circles into her back. The situation hit so close to home, that he felt his own eyes growing misty. His chin rested on top of her head, his lips pressed tightly together so as not to lose control. When he felt her tremors dying down, he cleared his throat and said, "I have something for you. I hoped you'd wear it on the field trip today." "Wear it? Wha-" He cut her off by placing a finger to her lips and reaching into his pocket. She didn't notice how he fidgeted as he opened the box.

Amanda's jaw dropped when she saw the cross, running a fingertip over the opals and marveling over how pretty it was. She whispered, "That's my birthstone." Erik told her, "I just wanted to return the favor." "Thank you so much. This is…this is really wonderful", she said with a grateful smile. She then turned around and asked him, "Could you put it on me?" As she handed the box back to him, she missed how he gulped before answering in a shaky voice, "Of course." She moved all stray pieces of her hair aside as he clipped the chain around her neck, a tingly jolt running through her when his fingertips touched her skin.

Surprisingly, when that was done, he didn't remove his hands like she expected him to. Instead, he placed both hands on her shoulders and began a gentle message. Every tight muscle in that area loosened under his tender hands. Amanda groaned in contentment, mumbling, "That feels _so_ good." "Does it", he whispered back. She couldn't help the shiver that shot through her body when his breath whooshed over the back of her neck, the fingernails of her left hand digging into her palm. She was so relaxed, that she almost let those three little words spill out: "Erik, I l-." "What was that?" Her eyes popped open as she realized what she'd nearly told him. Clearing her throat, she turned around to face him, smiling as she said, "The message was really great. I need all the soothing I can get for the field trip today. These kids…I love them all to death, but they drive me crazy sometimes." Erik laughed. "I'm sure Charles feels the same way on occasion, but I don't think you should worry about the students' behavior so much. They _adore_ you." She giggled, telling him that she'd see him later.

As she admired herself in the mirror a few hours later, she had to admit it…she looked good. The outfit chosen for her included a long-sleeved magenta shirt covered with the turquoise outlines of hearts, a slimly-fitting pair of black jeans, and a pair of black gladiator-style wedges. Amanda really admired her sister's fashion sense, despite Raven's admission that she only wore clothes at all because of the students. The makeup was a little bolder, perfect for a night out. The hair was held away from the empath's face with tiny clips, with the rest of it curly. Wearing heels meant using the elevator to get downstairs. It wasn't worth risking a broken ankle.

When she arrived back at the first floor, she saw her brother and Erik talking near the front door. Both of their groups were waiting in the main hallway with them, minus Azazel and Hank, who'd chosen to stay behind. Both men had given Amanda lovely birthday cards earlier in the day, and she'd thanked them with quick hugs. The students were filing out the door and into the three buses Charles had chartered for the occasion. Any leftovers were told to ride in one of the two cars set to lead the procession. If Amanda thought Erik's tux at the charity ball was reminiscent of James Bond, it had nothing on the car she was set to ride in with him and some of the other non-student mutants: a silver-and-white Aston Martin. If cars could be sexy…her train of thought was interrupted by her brother's laughter. She must've been projecting again without realizing it. He lightly tapped the back of her hand and said softly, "I'm sure Mr. Connery would agree with your opinion, Mandy-lou."

_**AN: Coming up...Erik's had his turn. Now, it's Amanda's big day. Let the good times roll. **_


	19. Amanda's Party

Once they got to Game and Grub, Amanda was shocked at how Charles's mood suddenly changed. He became more cagey, calling over a couple members of the restaurant's staff as he urged her to go on inside. "Are you sure I can't help you out with anything, Charlie?" "No, no, it's okay. Go in with everyone. These guys can handle things here. I'll keep my eyes on them." He closed that sentence with a wink, returning his attention to the group of men how hovering around the trunks of the cars. The kids had already run past her, but she didn't bother to take notice of them. She lingered at the doorway for a moment, confusion clouding her mind. What was her brother hiding? Did he bring pizza for the students or something? No, that couldn't be it. This place was said to have that and more. A tap on her interrupted her musings: Angel. "_Oh_, my gosh, I found the _coolest_ game, Amanda. You _have_ to come check it out."

The so-called "coolest game" turned out to be nothing more than a jazzed-up pinball machine. There were several in the building, but this one was volleyball-themed. As she watched Angel take another turn, from the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of Erik as he played skee-ball with Riptide. He briefly noticed her staring, and he flashed a sideways smile before returning his focus to the game. A voice to Amanda's right brought her back to Earth. "Sorry, Angel, what was that?"

Her giggle was followed by, "I said that he hasn't stopped talking about what you did on his birthday. Well…maybe, 'talking' is the wrong word, but the principle is the same. He keeps that necklace hidden most of the time. He just keeps smiling, like it gives him comfort or something." Amanda replied that religion gave a lot of people comfort. "That, not what I-" The deejay's voice over the loudspeakers cut them off. When he finished talking, the empath softly, "I know", taking out her cross from underneath her shirt. Wide eyes, the Angel said, "Whoa. Apparently, he decided to reciprocate." "You like?" "Do I like? More than that, girl. I'm _jealous_." Amanda laughed. "Since when were _you_ jealous of _me_? What reasons could you possibly have for-" Again, there was another sudden interruption. This time, though, it was Charles. Moving closer to them, he said, "Ah, good, I was just looking for you, Angel. I need your help with something a moment. We'll be right back, Mandy-lou." Amanda shrugged as she watched them go, shaking her head in an attempt to ignore their strange behavior. She was about to make her own try at the pinball game, when she suddenly felt a warm, familiar hand on her left shoulder.

Erik's accent was much thicker when he spoke in lower pitches, and she loved that to her core. It seemed to imply secrets that only he and Amanda were allowed to know. She smiled as he gently tugged on her wrist, gesturing at a table near the roller rink and indicating for her to follow him. A cherry-flavored slush drink sat there, with two straws poking out of it, waiting for them. She giggled and asked, "I didn't see you leave the skee-ball game. When did you find time to get that?" "I have my ways." He winked at her, causing a slight blush that made him chuckle under his breath. "Are you enjoying your special day", he asked. "Yes, I am. I can imagine no better way to spend my birthday than with all the people I most care about." "Care?" He reached across the table and took Amanda's hand, holding it gently as he brushed his thumb affectionately over her knuckles. Her face flushed an even deeper shade of scarlet, equaling the heat in Erik's unblinking stare. Before he could stop himself, he softly whispered, "What else can you imagine, Lady X?" Her breath hitched in her throat, her smile frozen on her face like an outlet store mannequin.

Suddenly, she realized how many eyes could be on them at that precise moment. Nervousness flooded her veins. Pulling her hand away, she said, "Don't. Someone might see." His chosen response was unexpected: "You make that sound like a bad thing. Let them see." The determination in his eyes almost frightened her, but she covered it up by laughing. Shaking her head and telling him he was impossible, she noticed how he glanced over her shoulder to stare at the skaters on the rink. "Have you ever done that before? Skate, I mean." "No, I haven't. I never had an interest in it before." Amanda smiled more broadly as she stood up, all but dragging him to his feet. "Well then", she said, "consider this a repayment for you, for teaching me how to waltz last month. As you told me then, it's not that hard." There was nothing Erik could do. As nervous as he was about this, he wanted to make her happy. So, he allowed her to lead him to the skate rental booth. Before he knew it, they were going onto the rink.

Amanda told him, "It's no great feat to learn how to skate. Anyone can. It's just like walking, really, only with a little extra movement and concentration on balance. You can hold onto the railings until you get enough confidence to try it alone." Erik chuckled and replied, "If there's one thing I have no shortage of, it's confidence." She couldn't resist. A tiny smile flickered at the corner of her mouth, her eyebrow quirking up as she said, "Confidence, you say? Such words, when spoken in that way, can seem more like arrogance." That statement hit a bit close to home, giving him a brief flashback to the final chess game he had with Charles, the night before Cuba. He brushed aside the memory, though, in favor of making the girl beside him pay for calling him arrogant.

A crafty smile crossed his face, and his arms suddenly sprang out as he began tickling her. With a squeal of surprise, Amanda flew against a nearby mirrored wall, her hands up in defense as she giggled and tried to fight Erik off. She was grateful for the room's dim lighting, as well as the rushing crowd on the rink, since they helped in concealment. The last thing she wanted right now was to be caught in her brother's knowing gaze, even though they weren't technically doing anything wrong. Erik kept right on tickling her, only stopping when she was finally out of breath. As she gasped for air, Amanda said, "You…I was…I was right when I…when I called you a sneaky devil." He grabbed the finger she was pointing at him, leaning down and replying, "And so was I…better the devil you know." The tension between them now was as thick as it had been back then, even thicker if one was being truly honest. He was close enough to her face that she could easily have kissed him. But as much as she really, desperately wanted to, it was just too risky at that point.

Amanda briefly took notice of a freckle on the left side of Erik's neck, right where it curved into his shoulder. She gently placed her hand there, trying hard to ignore the sigh he made at her touch, and she used that as an anchor point to slowly nudge him away. She said softly, "We're supposed to be having fun." "We _are_", he protested with another of his famous puppy-dog pouts. Stifling a giggle, she rolled her eyes and pointed to a family of four on the rink. "I mean _that_ kind of fun, smarty-pants." He followed the direction she was pointing in, smiling as he turned back to her and said, "Well, let's get on with it then, shall we?" He slid his hand around her waist to the small of her back, and with a gentle push, they began skating again. Erik took to the activity with surprising ease, much to Amanda's relief and happiness. He kept trying to goad her into racing him, but never managed to. They were so wrapped up in their own little bubble, that they didn't notice the small group starting to gather around them. It was about five students, with Sean, Angel, and Raven joining in. Amanda would cast smiles and giggles at them every so often, but she hid well who she truly had eyes for.

They were on their twelfth circle around the rink, when Amanda felt a gentle tug on her wrist. She looked up to see Erik, gesturing away from the area, clearly meaning that he wanted her to follow him. After taking a minute to remove their skates and return them to the rental booth, they went to the playground area. That's where most of the younger students were. It had everything: slides, three kinds of jungle-gyms, monkey bars, two sandboxes where kids could dig up fake dinosaur bones and ancient relics, a bouncy-castle, a see-saw, a ball pit, and a swing-set. The swings had always been Amanda's favorite thing to do in her childhood, because it made her feel like she was flying. She turned around to ask Erik which activity he wanted to do first, but she suddenly realized that he'd disappeared. She looked all around the immediate area, but he was nowhere to be seen. She knew he was fast, but not that fast. Where could he have possibly gone?

After a couple of minutes, she wound up in front of the ball-pit, debating over whether or not to reach out to her brother for help. Just as Amanda was closing her eyes to try a mental call-out a strong arm suddenly came from out of nowhere and grabbed her, snaking around her waist and pulling her into the ball-pit. A quick, sharp squeal of surprise was all she managed to get out as she disappeared under the colorful plastic orbs. As she hit the protective netting underneath, her gaze was met by a familiar pair of ice-blue eyes, and her shock turned instantly turned into extreme annoyance. She asked harshly under her breath, "What were you thinking, Erik? Are you crazy?" He smirked, putting his thumb and index finger a very tiny distance apart. "A little bit? Well, okay mister, if you would be so kind as to let me up-" He only gripped her tighter, mumbling, "You're not going anywhere." "Erik, I'm _serious_. Let me go." He just laughed.

When she narrowed her eyes at him, he leaned on his side and said, "It was worth it to see your reaction. But I must say…I didn't expect you to turn such a delightful shade of red. Pray tell why that is?" "None of your business, Lehnsherr." "So _rude_", he replied, but his voice cracked into laughter at the end. Despite everything, Amanda found herself giggling, too. She smiled as Erik said, "Now, _that's_ more like it." Then suddenly, they both froze and locked eyes, realization washing over them.

Because of the way Erik was positioned, he was barely an inch away from being completely on top of her. He took in a huge gulp of air, as did she, their hearts leaping into their throats. Their most primal, secretive instincts were urging them on to do more. The proof of this was quite difficult for the empath to ignore when her companion shifted his weight ever so slightly, making her softly gasp and him groan low. However, both their current location and propriety wouldn't allow for such emotions to reach fruition. Amanda's left arm snaked its way upwards, lying flat across his upper back. Her right hand cupped his neck, a spot just beneath his jaw. Sighing, he smiled as he rested his hand on the top of her head. His eyes slid shut half-way, and his lips parted slightly in anticipation. He was starting to lean down, when something heavy suddenly crashed down on his back and pushed him away from her. He gave a loud groan of pain, which made Amanda sit up and say nervously, "Erik, are you okay? Oh please, tell me you're okay." He was still groaning and wincing as he sat up, replying, "Ask me later."

They heard some fearful sniffles coming from nearby, and when they looked, they saw a student named Wesley in the corner of the ball-pit. The nine-year-old boy's gift was being able to create a protective force-field around his body. He looked terrified as he asked, "Are you alright, Mr. Erik? I didn't hurt you too bad, did I?" The older man tried to soothe him by forcing a smile and shaking his head, but the pain was still clear on his face. He leaned on Amanda as she helped him climb out. While Erik tried to catch his breath, she briefly closed her eyes and sent out, "Charlie, we need some help over here, ASAP." Despite getting no response, Charles and Alex did show up within seconds. "What on Earth happened, Mandy-lou?" Erik kept clutching at his back, making gestures that told the story. What he couldn't say, Amanda filled in.

Not hesitating, Charles pressed two fingers to his temple and tried to calm his friend's mind, not wanting Erik to think about the pain. Meanwhile, his sister kept hold of his wrist and used her gift to relax the rest of his body. They led him back to the food court and helped him sit down. Amanda only left his side to get an ice-pack from the first-aid station. As she moved it to his lower back, he said through gritted teeth, "Sorry about ruining today." She gently patted his shoulder, silently telling him that he did nothing wrong. Charles sighed and smiled, knowing the perfect way to diffuse all this negative energy. Calling over one of the workers, he said, "Could you please bring two large pizzas to this table, one just with cheese and one with pepperoni?" The man nodded and walked away to complete the order. Amanda couldn't help but laugh. "Food fixes all problems, eh, Charlie?" "Of course, it does. I told you I was smart." "Right, as if the Oxford degree wasn't proof enough." He winked, and she giggled as she clapped him on the back and sat down.

About an hour later, everyone was in full feeding mode. Two extra pizzas had to be ordered for the students, so each could have a second or third helping if they wanted. Cotton candy, trays of nachos, popcorn, and cups of soda were also scattered all over the tables. Everyone seemed happy, including Erik. He'd taken a pill for his back, resigning himself to likely having a large bruise there in the morning. After a while, Charles, Raven, and a couple of the other older mutants began exchanging anxious looks. Amanda had been distracted, completely oblivious until another worker was called over, and her brother whispered something into his ear. The lights around their area began to dim, and a knowing smile crossed the telepath's face. "Charlie, what's going on?" He paused before answering, "I haven't been entirely honest with about the purpose of today, love." Her eyes grew wide as she looked over his shoulder, taking notice of a person walking from the back of the food court. Said person was carrying a brightly-lit tray.

Amanda didn't know if she should be embarrassed at being the center of attention, or if she should cry at how sweet this was. So, she did a little of both. Her scarlet cheeks burned as thin rivers of tears came down. She was grateful when Erik squeezed her hand under the table in reassurance. Charles did notice the sideways glance exchanged between them, but he chose to overlook it. The rest of the night progressed as planned. They sang the Motown version of "Happy Birthday" to Amanda, instead of the traditional one. The cake was delicious: marble on the inside with white frosting, decorated around the sides and corners with orange flowers that resembled tiger-lilies. A sparkler was in each corner, and regular candles formed a heart in the center. The birthday girl was smiling as she leaned over to blow out the candles.

The first thing she did after cutting the cake was jog around the table, straight to her brother. She quickly pulled up a chair and threw her arms around Charles, happy as she told him her gratitude. He couldn't stop smiling, occasionally chuckling under his breath at her enthusiasm. She gave a quick peck to his cheek before standing back up, going around and systematically hugging everyone else involved with planning her party. Amanda wasn't able to get to Erik until last, which was probably a good thing. It helped better keep her emotions in-check. Their embrace was quick, but it was enough. She found it amusing how he couldn't stop touching a certain spot on the back of his neck, the place where she'd given a gentle squeeze as they'd broken their hug.

Once everyone was on their second piece of cake, the time came for presents. Amanda couldn't wait. Of course, family came first as her siblings passed her their gifts. Both appeared to be jewelry of some kind. The larger one was from Charles, who, she thought as she opened the box and gasped, must've shared Erik's way of thinking. The reason for that was the stone. A simple letter "A" was outlined in pink tourmaline, the other birthstone for October. Giving a tiny "aw"-type groan, she smiled at him before moving on to the smaller box. When she opened it, Amanda turned to her sister and said, "You two really like to coordinate things, don't you?" Raven giggled, replying that they couldn't help it. Her present was a set of earrings, also in pink tourmaline, in a shape that reminded her of exploding fireworks. She raced excitedly through opening the rest of her gifts.

Emma gave her a white leather coat, which prompted the question, "Should I _ask_ how you got this?" The blond woman smiled sneakily and answered, "No." Angel gave her an ankle bracelet and a hairbrush made of coral and seashells. Alex gave her a butterfly figurine made of crystal. As the other guys teased him over the sensitivity of his chosen gift, Charles got Amanda's attention and whispered, "That represents how he sees you." She nodded in understanding before moving on to the rest. The so-called "girly-ness" of the presents didn't ease up when it came to Sean and Riptide, who gave her perfume and a multi-pack of scented soaps, respectively. Alex smirked and asked, "Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?" Giggles erupted in pockets around the tables. Charles told her, "Hank and Azazel have other gifts ready for you when we get home." Then, he turned to Erik and asked, "Isn't your turn now, my friend?"

Everyone looked expectantly at the metal-bender, waiting to see what he bought, but it was actually Amanda who spoke up first: "You got a little ahead of yourself there, Charlie." Briefly pulled her hair back, she pushed out her neck slightly and allowed them all to see the opal cross. As he handed her an envelope, Erik glanced at his friend and said with a wink, "When have you ever known me to do things in order, Charles?" Amanda opened the card that was inside, and was surprised to see a small picture fall out.

She was shocked, realizing that it was a picture of his family, the same one he'd shown her back on his birthday. Turning to him, she said, "Why? This…I don't want to take your _memories_ from you." He shook his head and replied, "No. I told you before that it was a fair trade, and I'm nothing if not a man of my word. Keep it. It's fine with me." Amanda swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall, mumbling a "thank you". After that, she accepted cards from all the younger students, and everyone had another round of cake before deciding it was time to head back to the mansion.

_**AN: Well, Happy Birthday, Amanda. In the next chapter, she'll be celebrating her first major holiday w/ the mansion community, & the tension between her & Erik gets a tiny bit thicker. Like it wasn't thick enough already, as you've read here (giggle). As always, I only ask for kindness & civil words in reviews from my readers. Thank you.**_


	20. Trick-or-Treat

_**AN: I tried to upload this in-time, so it would actually come out on Halloween, but glorious allergies (note the sarcasm here) got in the way. Now, my home computer's busted, & I can only use the ones on my college campus M-W-F. This means I'll only be able to post chapters every other day or every 2 days, if that. Please, just bear w/ me on this. I'm really super-frustrated. I like sharing my work w/ you all, so I hope I'm not ticking anybody off.**_

It was now a week until Halloween, and Amanda had no idea of what to do. How does one approach the idea of trick-or-treating with a bunch of mutant children? Given the nature of their gifts, Hank, Raven, and Azazel would have it easy. But what about the kids, especially those who didn't have full control over their powers? How could they keep their composure for two or three hours, while walking around the neighborhoods of Westchester to get candy? For many of the foreign guests in the mansion, this would be their first experience with the holiday, which added even more pressure. Amanda was terribly confused and anxious, so she did what she always did when facing extreme problems: she went to her brother for advice.

Charles fought hard not to laugh over the situation, he was positive Amanda could sense his restraint. He told her, "Mandy-lou, I'm not sure I'm the best person to ask about this. Growing up in England, we didn't set as much store by Halloween as Americans do, in terms of celebration. Certain festivals, like Guy Fawkes Day, come close. But they're still not the same." As she went to speak again, she'd unknowingly and accidentally dropped her mental shields for a split second. Charles instantly picked up on this, and he cut her off by saying, "Don't go off on some wild speech about this being my house, and how I control all the parties that occur within it, okay? You and Raven have equal stakes in this place, too. And as for the students, the rest is really up to them. If you're worried about their powers, try using their individual control levels as a guideline. Those possessing it can go trick-or-treating, and the rest stay here." "But I don't want to make anyone feel upset or left out. He wheeled around his desk. "Look, here's what we can do…"

After a while, they eventually settled on a complicated, but practical agreement. Children between the ages of seven and ten would participate in a special haunted house-themed treasure hunt. Those between ten and fifteen would go trick-or-treating as a group, but they needed at least two adults to go with them as chaperones. And those left over, meaning everyone from age sixteen up, would have a costume party. Once that was all sorted, Amanda turned her mind to her next upcoming challenge, choosing a costume.

A couple of days after the discussion with Charles, she scanned through a store catalogue full of costumes, trying to pick a good option. Finally, she arrived at a particular set of pages called "The Pride of Olympus". It showed people, some as couples and some on their own, dressed as various gods and goddesses. Amanda admired different things about each outfit, which made the choice even more difficult. Hera's gown was bright pink with gold embroidery and a matching cape, accessorized with multiple jeweled bracelets and a stunning rhinestone-covered tiara. Amphitrite's gown was one-shoulder and was a dark shade of turquoise, without the cape and bracelets. The bodice was black and seemed to be made of leather, with interesting swirly designs on it. The necklace and earrings resembled mosaic tiles, and the tiara was made of plastic seashells and pearls. Aphrodite's gown was solid white with a sweetheart neckline, an ironic thing, since she was the goddess of love and sexuality.

Then, there were the characters who were posing by themselves. Demeter's gown, like Amphitrite's, was one-shoulder. It was a pale shade of orange, with a crown of gold leaves and matching armbands. Hecate's gown was strapless and dark purple, covered in a gauzy material that was covered in silver stars and moons. There were costumes for various nymphs as well, but while they were all as beautiful as the other outfits, they didn't really strike Amanda as the one she should wear. Suddenly, Erik's warm voice filtered into her mind, bringing back memories of the conversations they'd had over a similar subject. This directed her to one costume in particular. Standing next to a painted version of her husband was a woman dressed as Persephone. Her gown was, in a word, gorgeous. It was blood-red and sleeveless, with a square-cut neckline that would definitely give high emphasis to the chest of any woman who wore it. As with Amphitrite's gown, the bodice was made of black leather, but this time with no designs. There were thin silver bands for the upper arms, and matching silver cuffs that would stretch from the wrist to the elbow. There was no tiara. Only one word crossed Amanda's mind at that moment: bingo.

Halloween finally came, and what a night it was. The sky was perfectly clear, and the moon was full. The "middle group" students still had about an hour left on their trick-or-treating schedule, and the youngest ones were already in bed, exhausted from their treasure hunt. Amanda was busy fixing her hair into wild, whimsical curls, when she heard a knock on her door. It was her sister, telling her that Charles said the party started in five minutes. She shouted, "Coming", before putting the final touches on her makeup. Once she got downstairs to the library, she saw that the lights had been dimmed, the fireplace was roaring, and soft music was playing. Before anyone had the chance to notice her, she took a minute to study everyone else's costumes.

Raven was standing by the bookcase on the opposite side of the room, talking with Angel. They were dressed as a mermaid and an Arabian princess, respectively. Amanda's attention then moved to another pair of best friends, Azazel and Riptide. She knew that the tornado-maker's given name was Janos, and though she occasionally called him Jan for short, he often said that he preferred his codename. He looked cool in his pharaoh costume, just as Azazel did in his Dracula one. Hearing a throat clear, she turned to see her brother in front of the television with Sean and Alex. The blond teenager obviously decided to get into his western side, since he was dressed as a cowboy. Sean wore a racecar driver's uniform, with the helmet's visor up so he could drink his cup of punch. Charles was between them. His black sweatshirt, slacks, and gloves were painted to look like a skeleton. He smiled as he motioned his sister over.

She noticed that certain people were missing. Hank and Emma were out with the trick-or-treating group. Amanda felt bad that this was the one night of the year poor Hank could go outside without worrying about being persecuted, but a smile came back to her face as she recalled the overly-dramatic eye-roll the blond telepath had made when given her assignment. Quickly glancing around, she sighed and said, "I guess Erik didn't feel much like being a party animal tonight." Charles told her, "Guess again, Mandy-lou." He twitched his head to the right, and she looked where he was indicating.

Erik sat in a rocking chair next to the fireplace, completely engrossed in the book in his hands. The light from the flames flickered and danced around him, reminding Amanda of the mythical man he constantly compared himself to. She kept stealing glances at him without being obvious, carefully studying his outfit. The colors seemed to coordinate perfectly with what she was wearing. The shirt had a ruby tint, and it was tucked into black pants that had matching boots. The shirt also was only buttoned half-way up, perfectly framing a good portion of his lithely muscled chest. Amanda instantly felt her cheeks get hot. Knowing they likely matched the shade of her gown, she tilted her head to stare at the floor.

Faking a cough, she leaned back in her seat and asked, "So…why did you guys pick these specific costumes?" After taking off his helmet, Sean answered first: "I had to practically fight for this one. Wyatt Earp over there told me to be a leprechaun." Alex threw a pretzel at him. "Dude, come on. I was just kidding." He cast a sideways smirk at Amanda, who then looked back at Sean and said, "Yeah. Relax buddy. He got the wrong holiday for that." The red-head smiled as he grabbed a handful of Tootsie Rolls and hurled them at her. All three of them were laughing, and even Charles was having a hard time keeping his composure. She also noticed Erik quirk up an eyebrow from his place by the fire, shaking his head and laughing slightly at the image. It was indeed hilarious to think of her friend, dancing a jig in tiny green shorts, but she had to calm down before she completely lost all her breath.

Turning to face her brother, she asked "What about _you_, Charlie? What was _your_ inspiration?" "Pure convenience, love, just pure convenience. It's the most comfortable thing I could find. And honestly, it brings back some rather lovely memories of the anatomy classes I took at university." Raven took that as her cue to join the conversation as she walked over to them. "Anatomy, eh? What kind, pray tell? Oh, don't give me that look. Quit being such an old man." Charles scrunched up his nose, stifling a laugh as he raised his cup to his lips. Nothing grated on his nerves more than his youngest sister calling him old, and she knew it. Of course, he'd never admit it out loud, but nothing seemed to be truer lately. Meanwhile, the middle Xavier child fought back a sniffle as she mulled over the real, unspoken reason for his chosen costume: it was the easiest one to wear in his wheelchair. By then, more of the older students were filing in, and Amanda decided to use the distraction of their arrivals to make her way over to Erik.

He was still in the same position as before, one leg curled up under the other. His right hand was balanced on his knee, his thumb hidden as it held the book open. Now looking closer, Amanda was able to notice some things about his costume that she hadn't before. Along with the necklace she'd given him on his birthday, he was also wearing a plain silver disk on a black cord. A thin band of silver, similar to the ones on her arms, glinted in his hair. "I told you once already that staring isn't polite." Hearing that warm purr brought her back to her senses. Quickly recovering, she met his amused, teasing gaze and replied, "So is eavesdropping." "Eavesdropping? _Me_? I _assure_ you, Lady X, I have _no_ idea what you're talking about." "Mm-hm, sure. And the whole idea of Sean 'The Leprechaun' Cassidy doesn't ring any bells at all?" He just smiled bigger, which made her giggle and roll her eyes. Pulling an ottoman up next to the rocking chair, Amanda then sat down beside him.

They were both quiet for a couple of minutes, unsure of how to begin a conversation. After a few awkward throat clearings, Amanda finally asked, "So, whatcha readin'?" He didn't answer, simply turning the book enough to let her see the title on the spine. "Ooh, neat. _Lord of the Rings_. I am surprised you're taking a break from _Frankenstein_, though." "That will always be my favorite book, but I thought I'd try something new. Tolkien was a master of using his real-life experiences to influence his work. He made misery into magic with just a little bit of imagination." "Yeah, that's right. He was a soldier in the first world war." When Erik raised an eyebrow in curiosity, she giggled and said, "Blame Charlie for how I know that. But I'd call it more than a _little_ bit of imagination."

He gave a tiny smile, and there was a second moment of quiet before another question was posed. "Hey since I asked the guys over there what inspired their costumes, I wanted to know what inspired _yours_." "You _already_ know." Erik put his book down, careful to fold the corner of the page he was reading. He said, "You should really be more careful about what you leave laying around." Amanda's eyes grew wide in realization. Her dress had arrived two days ago, and she'd been cleaning her room to pass the time as she waited for the delivery man. The place was a mess, and she somehow must've been distracted enough to accidentally kick the catalogue into the hallway. He likely found it while on one of his daily walks. There was no costume listed for Hades, so he'd put this together all on his own. Smiling, she told him, "Maybe, I should." From the corner of her eye, she spotted the drink table. As she stood up, her knuckles brushed Erik's, and a jolt of electricity instantly shot up both of their arms. Walking over to the drink table, she felt his eyes on her the entire time.

Holy -, she was beautiful. Erik was careful to keep the curse word out of his mind, so Charles didn't hear it. He uncurled his left leg, lifting it to cross over his right one. It had become an involuntary reflex by now, and it was unlikely to stop if she kept dressing like that. In fact, the dress itself wasn't really what intrigued him so much but rather the story implied by it. Amanda looked so perfect sitting beside him, their chosen costumes as mirror-images to one another. Being next to the mantle like that, just outside the fire, really did make them look like Hades and Persephone. In that tiny three-foot-radius bubble of personal space, they became the mythical king and queen of the underworld.

The world around them truly was like hell right now. The government was closing in on what some were calling "the mutant problem" And no matter how much Erik tried to fight the image of it, he so badly wanted Amanda to stand beside him through all his future troubles. A queen all his own, just like the ones in the myths. He knew they'd be unstoppable together. He heaved a sigh and ran his fingers through his hair, wondering in frustration why things had to be so complicated. It felt as though he really was standing just outside the fire, a much bigger one than what was keeping the room warm. He was torn from his musings by the sound of clicking heels. Amanda was coming back. He cleared his throat and straightened in his chair, trying to return his focus to the book in his hand.

Amanda saw that Erik looked slightly troubled, but she chose to ignore it, knowing he'd likely never tell her why. "Hey", she said softly. Once she had his full attention, she told him, "They had hot cider over there, so I thought you'd like some." As he smiled and took the cup from her, she said she was worried about burning his fingers. He chuckled under his breath and said, "I'm _thirty-two_, not _three_." She rolled her eyes, playfully backhanding his shoulder as she sat back down. She noticed the brief blackening of his eyes at her touch, but that quickly went away as he lifted the cup to his lips and cleared his throat again. "Don't tell me you're getting sick again." "You worry too much", he replied. She giggled and took a sip of her own drink, deciding to return their conversation to his book. "Are you enjoying this one?" "Very much so, yes." He was about to say more, when everyone head the sound of many pairs of running feet.

Students bolted through the front doors, excitedly babbling to each other about who had the best costume, which neighborhoods were decorated the best, and who'd gotten the most candy. Behind them, their two chaperones staggered inside, clearly exhausted beyond belief. Emma's leopard-print Jane costume, which likely started out perfectly skin-tight, now hung limply on her body. A tired huff accompanied her every step. She spotted Amanda staring at her, offering a weak wave and smile. She then stepped aside, revealing Hank as he tried to quiet down two arguing boys. He'd spray-dyed his fur brown, which would wash out later on. In his torn clothes and beaten-up shoes, he definitely looked the part of a werewolf. He, too, waved at Amanda and Erik, before sticking his head through the doorway to say hi to everyone. Sure enough, those same two boys started fighting again, once more taking his attention away. A giggle escaped Amanda's lips unbidden, and she said, "This place is like the story of the old woman who lived in a shoe. She could feel that Erik was trying to hold in his own laughter, but the subtle twitching of his shoulders gave him away.

Suddenly, she heard Angel call her name and she looked up to see that the shorter brunette waving her over. Erik said, "It appears you're being summoned." "Yes, it appears I am." As she stood up again, Amanda heard Erik shift in his chair. He suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, softly telling her to wait. As she turned to face him, he glanced over her shoulder and focused on a Newton's Cradle on a small, nearby table. Staring hard at it, he lifted his right hand and made a tugging-down motion, ripping the tiny silver balls free of their strings. He beckoned them over with his index finger, and he caused them to float above Amanda's head. Smiling at her confusion, he moved his finger in a circle, making the balls settle on her head in a circle. "There now", he said, "Perfect". Catching her faint reflection in a window, she realized that he'd made them look like a crown. Laughing slightly when he saw the faint blush in her cheeks, Erik sent the balls back to the table they'd come from. Charles would likely give him a talking-to over this, but he didn't care.

Recovering herself, Amanda noticed how he'd once more opened his book. Glancing between it and him, a teasing smile crossed her face as she told him, "I'll see you later, Gandalf." As she patted his arm and began walking away, she heard him whisper faintly in a laugh-like tone, "Gandalf…yeah, right." Meanwhile, neither one of them noticed that they were being carefully observed. At periodic moments throughout their conversation, a pair of dark sapphire-blue eyes would turn and focus in their direction.

Charles was happy to see them talking. He noticed how Erik seemed to be a different person whenever Amanda was around, and he loved that. He thought about all his friend had gone through, all he'd lost and been denied. Erik lost his mother at a young age, and thus the only female comforter in his life until now. Amanda was bringing out the best in the metal-bender. It was certainly an encouraging sign. He mentally re-lived the many conversations he'd had with his sister over this very subject. He remembered her words vividly: "He's been through so much"; "I can _help_ him, Charlie. I _know_ I can." It was almost like a kind of therapy. Maybe, just maybe, those dreams could come to fruition with just the right gentle encouragement, and Erik might finally be able to taste real happiness again. Charles watched as she walked away from the fireplace, joining Angel on the other side of the room. Giving a tiny smile, he sighed and said under his breath, "I hope you know what you're doing, Mandy-lou."

_**AN: Ever-cautious Charles, always looking out for his sister's best interest. Such a good big brother. Next chapter, we get the milestone you've all been waiting for.**_


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